HI all,
Last week I outlined the basic beliefs of Dominion Theology, also called Kingdom Now, and this week I want to outline some basic differences by looking at the Word.
 
First a review - Dominion Theology (DT) or Kingdom Now (KN) as it is also called, believes God lost control of the earth when Adam sinned, but now through Christ we are called to take dominion over the earth by infiltrating 7 areas of influence, called the '7 mountains'. This is led by 'apostles' in the 7 areas, and those submitted to them are 'overcomers', and having taken dominion in these areas, will present the earth to the Lord upon His return. Those 7 mountains are: Government, education, business, media, arts & entertainment, church and family.
 
While there are variations under the umbrella of Dominion Theology, I've found many who identify themselves with DT or KN don't know what they believe - many are just wrapped up in the prophecies of a new age of prosperity for themselves and the nation and world and that's all they know.
 
There are some variations, but generally here are a few key beliefs:
1) The Tribulation is not taught as a time when anti-Christ will rule and persecute Israel and believers in Jesus, but rather a time of God's judgement on earth brought through His people. Many therefore believe then that anti-Christ isn't a person, but a system, using I John 4:3 to ground their belief, which mentions the spirit of anti-Christ which denies Jesus, is already in the world. Therefore anti-Christ isn't a person, but merely a spirit governing ungodly governments, business, education, media, arts & entertainment, church, and family.
 
2) The church has failed in the last 2,000 years. Jesus came to do the work of the cross, then left the church to take dominion over the earth's 7 mountains listed above. But now we've come to understand the gospel correctly. Jesus told us to be witnesses, demonstrating the kingdom to the world, which means take over the 7 systems of the world to bring His kingdom to fruition as part of our witness. 
 
They often use I Corinthians 15:25-26: "He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet..." From there they say we are the body of Christ, and even His feet rule over His enemies, therefore as His body we must take dominion over the earth.
 
In order for this to happen we must have the proper church government, which is overcomers submitted to apostolic leaders in the 7 mountains. Once God's government is set, helped along by prayer warriors pulling down strongholds to make the way, then Christians can move into position to take over those 7 areas.
 
3) No rapture. This is explained as a rapturous feeling of joy upon Christ' return.
 
4) The church is Israel. Most would agree the church is spiritual Israel, but Dominion Theology does away with the importance of the nation of Israel altogether, appropriating Old Testament and New Testament verses to mean the body of Christ.
 
5) Emphasis on our prayer to pull down strongholds, and teamwork with angels and those in Christ who have died and are now in heaven in order to usher in heaven on earth. In early stages I saw this thinking in conventions where they said if they just get enough people together to pray, just yell and shout loud enough, God will hear and send revival. Along the way some of it has morphed into making God our adversary, One who must be convinced to send revival, and impressed by numbers of people all praying the same thing.
 
Does the Bible prophesy Christians will dominate the 7 mountains?
Jesus said in Matthew 24:37 the earth will be as in the days of Noah at His return. You may recall Noah wasn't dominating the earth at that point, but was dominated by the ungodly around him. In fact only his family survived the flood.
 
Israel is the point, not the USA
It is clear throughout the whole Bible that Israel is the point, not any other nation including the USA. Jesus said in Luke 21:24 when prophesying of the 70 AD destruction of the temple, that "Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled." Israel took control of the city in 1967, marking the start of the end of the time of the Gentiles. It could be argued Israel doesn't directly control east Jerusalem and that Jesus' prophecy has only been partially fulfilled, but either way, it is about literal Israel.
 
Paul said in Romans 11:25-26, "I don't want you to be ignorant nor conceited so I tell you this mystery, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the full number of Gentiles (non Jews) is fulfilled, then the remnant (of Israel) will be saved." So God is waiting for the maximum number of Gentiles to be saved as possible, and then the end of the focus on Gentiles will come, and His attention will shift to Israel. That isn't spiritual Israel for the sentence wouldn't make sense. Literal Israel is important.
 
The 2 who spoke to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration of His upcoming death* were Moses and Elijah, representing the law and the prophets. When Jesus was resurrected He spoke to the 2 on the road to Emmaus* out of Moses (the law) and the prophets. *Luke 9:30-31 and 24:27, 44-45
 
The 2 witnesses in Revelation 11:4-6 are Moses (law) and Elijah (prophets), who have 1) the power to hit the earth with plagues and turn water to blood, and 2) stop the rain from falling. (Which explains why Jude v9 tells us Michael, the Archangel in charge of Israel* took possession of the body of Moses after the Lord Himself buried him** rather than let it decay. *Daniel 12:1 **Deuteronomy 34:5-7
 
In Zechariah 12:10-11 and 13:6 it is prophesied when Messiah returns to the nation of Israel (not a spiritual Israel) they will ask how He got those wounds in His hands and He will tell them 'in the house of my friends'. and they will grieve as one mourns the death of an only child and the death of the firstborn child. There is no way to spiritualize those verses to make them mean 'the church'.
 
Personally speaking
I find it a daily challenge just to walk in the Spirit* in love, joy, peace, gentleness, long suffering, goodness, meekness, faithfulness, self-control, and adding to my faith** virtue, knowledge, patience, godliness, brotherly love, and unconditional love so that I walk in the Spirit and abound in the faith. *Galatians 5:22-25, **II Peter 1:5-8
 
I take my hat off to those who have mastered walking in these things and have time to get caught up in each new 'move of God'. Looking back at 4 decades of 'moves of God' like the charismatic renewal with accompanying goofy personal prophecy, shepherding movement, Word of Faith, prosperity, apostolic, prayer warriors, messianic to the exclusion of New Testament truths, open heaven and go to heaven at will errors, and so many more, that I marvel these people have evidently mastered walking in the Spirit and are now able to move on from walking in the Spirit to pursue such peripheral teachings. I still have my hands full and it takes my full attention just walking with the Father and Lord daily, applause to those who have mastered that and have the luxury of pursuing other teachings.
 
What are we called to?
We are called to be saints, ever-learners (disciples) of Jesus Christ, pursuing only those things and those people that move us deeper into Him. We are also called according to HIS purpose (not ours), called into the fellowship of Jesus Christ, called to the liberty not of the flesh, but called to the liberty of loving one another in Christ, called to fight the fight of faith while laying hold of eternal life, called to be holy, and called out of darkness into the light. (Quoting Romans 1:7, 8:28, I Corinthians 1:9, Galatians 5:13, I Timothy 6:12, II Timothy 1:9, I Peter 2:9)
 
Don't we have our hands full just learning to walk with God through our day? Haven't you noticed all these 'moves of God' and 'fad teachings', rise up quickly and die down just as quickly? Haven't we noticed that just as the hyper-grace teaching fades which took the place of the blood moon craze, and people come back to balance, the Dominion Theology rises to take its place? The Lord allows some immaturity in His body as we do with our own immature children, but eventually every good parent brings the kids back to the path. Concentrate on walking with the Lord, not putting attention to anything which distracts us from our Prime Directive.  
 
New 'random thought' next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
 

Hi all,
In some circles people are prophesying abundant prosperity to the USA and world when Trump wins the US election, which will usher in a time when Christians will dominate the '7 mountains' (see below for definition) in a new era of blessing and prosperity. This comes from what is generally called 'Dominion Theology' or 'Kingdom Now'.
 
I'm getting a lot of emails asking me to comment on Dominion Theology, but many may not even be aware such a thing exists, so let me first define it, then next week I'll share scripture point by point on the matter.
 
What it is
Dominion Theology believes Christians will take over or 'have dominion' over the world. Though there are various 'streams' under the umbrella of Dominion Theology, the founding belief sounds reasonable at first glance: Adam was told to have dominion over the world in Genesis 1:26-28, but by his sin brought the world under a curse. Then Jesus came and reversed the curse, bringing the kingdom of God into the hearts of mankind; therefore we have Adam's mandate to have dominion over the world and bring the kingdom to man.
 
Another way to say it is that they believe God lost control over the world when Adam sinned, and has been trying to get it back. Therefore 'prayer warriors' praying down the kingdom and against demonic strongholds,  'covenant people', 'overcomers' and other phrases like 'Joel's army' are used to identify this way of thinking.
 
As such, they believe the rapture is merely a joyous feeling we will experience when Jesus returns, the prophecies about Israel are actually about the church, and therefore the kingdom comes first in the hearts of believers, and some of those believers, the overcomers, will turn the earth over to the Lord at His return.
 
Dominion Theology believes the kingdom of God will come to the world through Christians gradually taking over the '7 mountains' or 7 spheres of influence.
 
The 7 mountains
The 7 mountains they believe Christians will take over, first in the US and then the rest of the world, are: Religion, family, government, education, media, business, arts & entertainment.
 
With emphasis on 'apostles' in these 7 areas, those apostles being part of the '5-fold' ministries, the idea is Christians will rise under the leadership of these apostles in the 7 mountains to turn this world around. Variations exist within the Dominionists, but the idea is the '5-fold' will lead the US in a sort of democratic theocracy back to God in a great national and then world-wide revival.
 
How 'apostles' function in the 7 mountains
Take a look at those 7 mountains and let us pick one, say arts & entertainment. Their idea is that Christian films and art will gradually begin to infiltrate, saturate, and then be the dominant influence in Hollywood, Broadway, and so on. Citing various Christian and conservative artists now active in each, Dominionists can point to apparent progress as proof their theology is correct.
 
In politics the Trump candidacy with its Constitutional core values, can be pointed to as progress, with the hopes a Trump administration will appoint believers in Cabinet level positions to reverse years of liberal policies, thus bringing elements of the kingdom of God to the federal government.
 
In business the hopes and prayers are for CEO's of larger companies to be or become Christians, who will then institute conservative policies and Christians freedoms in those companies...and on it goes.
 
In this way of thinking, Trump is an 'apostle' set to influence the mountain of government. A Christian CEO is an 'apostle' over his company. Christian actors and producers and people of influence in Hollywood would be 'apostles', leading Christian influence there, and so on.
 
Does wanting greater Christian influence make a person a Dominionist?
Just because someone believes Christians should rise to greater influence in society, or the '7 mountains', doesn't make them a Dominionist. The average Christian would love to see Christians in places of authority in those 7 mountains in their nation - but it doesn't mean they believe we should create a kingdom now to hand the earth over to Jesus at His return so He can take it from there.
 
And just because a pastor's sermon is about Christians being active in one of those 7 mountains, doesn't mean he is a Kingdom Now preacher. In the same way a person thinking about buying a certain model of car and then suddenly notices that model all around them, there are those who zero in on anything remotely sounding Kingdom Now, so we have to look at the larger picture, the larger ministry, the larger message.
 
Modern prosperity gospel
The reasons Dominion Theology has taken hold in the US are multi-faceted. One is that it counters the way of thought seen in the US federal government today, the 'liberal agenda'. Tired of having non-Christian laws, policies, and culture forced upon a general population that doesn't agree with that agenda, Dominion Theology is seen as the political counter-force.
 
Another is economic. A simple Internet search or by just listening to economic news tells the story of how far the US economy has fallen in the last 8 years: 50,000,000 on food stamps, 100,000,000 not in the work force (nearly 1/3 of the US population is not working), half of all households in the US are receiving some form of unearned government assistance.
 
Recent studies show that Americans work longer hours than any other developed nation, with over 25,000,000 working over 49 hours per week (over 1 in 5 workers). Many of those hours are from 2 part-time jobs because of lay offs due to the enforcement of health care laws and corporate and personal tax increases. In 2016 the US government will take in 3.3 trillion dollars - yet still spend more than they take in.
 
The US population is angry at both Republicans and Democrats and this rage has fueled the candidacy of Donald Trump. So it is natural that the Dominion Theology proponents would include a strong element of the prosperity gospel in a sort of theological stew mixing in every facet of life.
 
It is this modern update to the prosperity gospel that seems to be a driving force for many, as seen in the personal prophecies proclaiming riches and blessings in the near future.
 
Any fad movement has to have prophecy to lend credibility...
'Personal prophecies' in abundance have always been the 'stamp of approval' for whatever the newest fad in the charismatic world happens to be. Any fad movement bases their belief on what they think they see in the Word, but then they need the Spirit to go along, hence the abundance of personal prophecies.
 
In the 42 or so years I've walked with the Father I've seen every single charismatic movement also accompanied by personal prophecy that agrees with whatever spin on the Word that 'newest move of God' presents, so I'm not surprised to hear of all the prophecies about a new era of abundance and peace coming to the US and world with this election cycle.
 
But the question today isn't political, rather is Dominion Theology's understanding of the Bible correct? Is this a scriptural understanding of New Testament Christianity? Will 'overcomers' hand the world to Jesus at His return? Does Israel matter?
 
And I'll pick it up there next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

Hi all,
I was helping Chris get ready for the day after his morning bath, and he heard an airplane flying outside. Chris is our oldest son, age 36 at this writing, who had the umbilical cord around his neck when he was born and suffered a lack of oxygen, so mentally he is about 4 years old.
 
"Dad! An airplane!" he said, "You're right, I hear it too. I wonder where it's going?" I asked, and not giving him the time to answer I continued oblivious to the words on the tip of his tongue; "Maybe someone is flying home after visiting the lake this weekend. Maybe they're going to work, maybe seeing some friends. Or maybe even going on vacation far away. Where do you think they're going?" Clearly he had politely been waiting for me to finish, and replied, "They're going to an airport."
 
The lost art of conversation
His response certainly cut to the core truth - no matter why or where they were flying, it was to an airport. But I was so caught up in myself and all the possibilities I could imagine that I barely noticed that Chris was patiently waiting for me to finish talking. That is one element of the culture of offense, the lost art of conversation. We all dominate a conversation once in a while, but not as a habit.
 
Those in offense don't want to exchange ideas, for they are caught up in themselves. They want their voice and their voice alone to be heard. They want to use you, not learn from you. It may be to vent, to kill time, to have you confirm what they've already decided but use you to justify their decision while pretending they haven't yet decided. The reasons are numerous but it all adds up to they don't know how to exchange ideas nor do they want to.
 
A person in the culture of offense perceives someone voicing another opinion as a threat and therefore is met with a personal attack in an outburst of emotion.
 
This is part of the emotional instability that goes with being offended. A person's emotional stronghold of offense cannot be logically justified and they know it, but they are too fragile or hurting or stressed or have an agenda, to get their eyes off themselves and onto what is logical and right and what the Lord would have them do. They take it as rejection, having lost the ability to converse and exchange ideas without feeling threatened, maligned, or personally attacked, so they accuse and attack back, even when in truth, they aren't being attacked - they just perceive it that way. Yes, that is immaturity, and it is also offense.
 
When Paul was on Mars Hill in Athens, described in Acts 17, the people gathered were looking for an exchange of ideas and did so without making it personal. They knew how to attack an idea without attacking the person.
 
Nearly any professional can relate to this concept of exchanging ideas
Sometimes exchanges are in heated arguments, but are without attacking the other person personally. Lawyers, people in management, diplomats, teachers, (hopefully) spouses, and parents know what it is to converse back and forth in heated disagreements while still affirming and valuing and even loving the other person, which keeps them from making it personal.
 
(If there was any pre-marital class I would offer to the engaged it would be this - learn how to argue. Learn how to express ideas without making it a personal attack, bringing up the past, etc. Argue ideas, argue concepts, argue goals, but don't make it a personal attack.)  
 
But many people, especially those who have either a weak spouse or no spouse, nor any close friends to speak into their lives, love God in their hearts but live in the small-self that defines itself against others, thus taking offense at anyone with whom they disagree or hurts their feelings. These people live out of 'self', and not out of Christ in them.
 
Rather than telling themselves or letting God tell them how they will feel and think, they let their emotions tell them how they will feel and think.
 
Wow, talk about living a life on earth in Christ yet bringing nothing to the eternal party but the burned up wood, hay, and stubble of their life. I would not want to be in their shoes on that day.
 
These same people often hold down jobs, and I'm sure when someone at work says or does something they don't agree with they don't walk off the job never to return - because they need the money. Yet these same Christians who know they will give account to their Creator, will live in anger and offense at another Christian, ending relationships though we'll all know each other in heaven forever - yet they have no fear of God, no desire to be Christ-like if being Christ-like challenges them to change how they feel or think.
 
Laziness?
Over the years I've noticed those who are easily offended are spiritually lazy and don't like to be moved off their spiritual butt. What I mean is this - imagine a lazy employee talking a long break, and he gets offended when the manager tells him to get to work. Rather than seeing his boss's command as 'You know, he is right, I've taken way too long of a break and I'm inconveniencing my co-workers', he instead says 'The boss doesn't like me.'
 
A person living in their smaller, emotional self views communication in any form first through the eyes of offense - they assume the person responding is angry, or perturbed, has an attitude or is annoyed - so they read into the conversation, email, phone call, or letter things which are not intended. This is normal for them, even though love says it believes the best and looks for the best. The man in obedience to Jesus adjusts his attitude and says 'He is right I've been on break too long and the boss wants what is best for me and the company and my co-workers.' That is love, the attitude the boss doesn't like him is the culture of offense. 
 
In offense, rather than take responsibility for their own life and attitude, they are unable to see other workers inconvenienced by their long break. They are lazy, blind to their co-worker's needing them back on the job, more willing to let someone else do their work for them than taking responsibility for themselves.
 
Put that laziness on a spiritual level and it means someone is more willing to be offended than do what God asks. 'It is too hard Lord to apologize, so why don't you just take care of it and consider my slate cleaned up so I can move on.'
 
The world is set on edge, looking for things to be offended about. But we have not so learned Christ. 
 
I've been asked many times how I keep my heart and motives right before the Lord
It is very simple: I don't form opinions in my mind and emotions about another person's actions. I judge the fruit of their lives as Jesus said to do, and don't judge their heart which is also what Jesus said. That way I only truly and honestly want the best for them and therefore have no hidden agenda in the relationship. 
 
Paul put it in different words in Romans 14 among other places, saying essentially, 'What they do, they do unto the Lord, so that is their business not yours.' I may need to protect myself from actions I judge to be sinful or potentially dangerous to me or my family, but I don't judge their heart. Only God knows the heart. Human nature being what it is, means people judge themselves by their motives, but judge others by their expectations. And that leads them directly into being offended and hurt. If you do what you can to make peace and they refuse, their issue is with the Lord, not you. So let Him handle them.
 
I realized long ago I am already in eternity - we don't die and then enter into eternity, we are already in eternity. That means we're all going to get to know one another very well over the next 200, 500, and 5,000 years and beyond. So why not agree on what we can agree on right now, because 10,000 years from now will our differences in this life mean anything at all?
 
I remember the words of Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, before he was burned at the stake for refusing to burn incense to the Emperor: "86 years I have served Him and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my Lord and Savior? You threaten me with a fire that burns for a season, and after a little while is quenched; but you are ignorant of the everlasting punishment that is prepared for the wicked."
 
A good look at his perspective on eternity would do those who take offense so easily, Christian or not, some good I think. New random thought next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
 

Hi all,
The culture of offense has taken much of the world by storm in the last few years, yet most don't realize the spirit behind this movement is going to lead to something much greater on down the time line than merely 1 politician making personal attacks against another in a voting year.
 
On a small scale we have examples in the US of a teenager suspended from school because she said 'Bless you' to a class mate who had sneezed. At a school in California 5 students were sent home on May 5, the day Mexico celebrates Cinco de Mayo, for daring to wear T-shirts with the American flag on them.
 
On a national scale the culture of offense is very much like fascism. Fascism is the governmental system where people are not allowed to disagree with the government - the government takes offense at someone disagreeing with them. This includes examples of ISIS killing anyone who doesn't believe as they do, or Turkey prosecuting citizens who utter any opinion on social media construed as anti-government, or wide spread political correctness forced to the citizens as a matter of government policy. From 'bless you' to arrests for Facebook posts with a personal opinion expressed, these are elements of the culture of offense.
 
However, offense begins in the hearts of individuals before it becomes a force in society as a whole, and if it takes up residence in a person's heart, it forms its own little culture of offense which leads a person to live by their emotions rather than reason, logic, and morals, with the result of the cutting of relationships of those who don't meet their expectations.
 
How offense starts
Presumption is the act of putting your expectations on someone else, and then getting offended (hurt feelings) and they can even feel victimized when others don't meet those expectations.
 
The offended person can't measure the situation accurately
They are seeing the situation solely through the eyes of their expectations and how they feel about it, without taking anyone else's life into account. These people live by opinions formed by their emotions, rather than by opinions and emotions formed by God's Word.
 
Point #1 - They only see themselves and their situation (Narcissistic)
Their emotions are on the edge and they form opinions and make decisions on who to have in their life or who to exclude from their life strictly from their emotions. For example, maybe they have a friend of 20 years, but this friend makes them angry one day for something trivial - because they called their friend at an inconvenient time and the friend said so - and they got angry and decided to end the relationship. The culture of offense emotionally decides to throw away a 20 year investment in the friendship - completely illogical! Stinking thinking!
 
People who live like this start a downward spiral in their life. 
 
Point #2 - They can't imagine what it is like to be the other person
Living in emotions and culture of offense means they also cannot understand another person's situation, and have lost sight of the fact their primary goal is to be mature in Christ. In the above example though friends for 20 years, the offended couldn't understand their friend's honesty at saying it was an inconvenient time to talk.
 
They take it as 'you don't want me', so their reaction is disproportionate to the event, and they throw the friendship away. They can't imagine anything in their friend's life larger than their need at that moment. Maybe the friend had a baby on the changing table with a poopy diaper, maybe they had visitors, maybe they were in a doctor's office - doesn't matter! They are offended because they are unable to understand their friend's situation at the moment they were in need, in emotional turmoil, so they were offended. 
 
The truth is they love Jesus only to the point He doesn't ask them to make hard decisions which would lead to growth as a person and a disciple of Jesus. They aren't really disciples, just believers, for by definition a disciple is 'a learner'. They stopped learning, they've punched their ticket to heaven, now life is too difficult and they are too busy to be bothered with such things as growth in godly character. Such things as getting their eyes off themselves, apologies, humbling oneself and admitting they over-reacted are just too hard on top of everything else. Too bad Jesus, I love you but life is hard and I want to wallow in my hurt.
 
They only see their need, their life, their crisis. They may offer a polite 'so what is going on with you?' but as soon as the person responds, they manage to shift the conversation back to themselves. Sympathy is the emotion felt when someone else is hurting, while empathy is the ability to experience the feelings of others.
 
A person easily offended can have sympathy for another, but they lack the ability to experience empathy, for that equates to humility, vulnerability, and feeling what others feel. Thus they pull back and shift attention back to themselves.
 
Point #3 - You can't talk a person out of offense
Offense is a choice of the emotions, often made as a knee-jerk reaction without any filter or check and balance for those emotions. The mature have learned how to balance emotions by causing them and their thoughts to be submitted to the cross.
 
Choosing not to be offended is Christ-like while choosing to take offense is a lower-self choice. You can't talk, negotiate, illustrate, or teach a person out of offense. They are hurt and they want to be - so once you point out the truth, once you apologize, once you try to get them to understand where you're coming from to no avail, you have to move on. Build a bridge to them to the extent they allow, but their sin and childishness can't hold you back from you doing what is right in Christ. You answer to Him, not them.
 
This is where feelings are worn on the sleeve so to speak, for all to see, measuring others by their expectations rather than by what is right and moral and just. People have a hard life and they are stressed, and they wear their tendency to be offended like a porcupine baring its quills at a confrontation. This is the area where people feel a need to always be right, to point out where others are wrong, and they live out of that 'home base' for their lives.
 
It is a horrible, miserable place from which to live, but these same people will say they love God - and that is true in their spirit man. But you can't talk them out of offense for they won't let God in their emotions and decision process. They never think "I have to do what Jesus says no matter how I feel" -
 
Thus internally they are in turmoil and hurting because they know they need to make things right with x person, but they would rather be distracted in their self-justification than humble themselves before the Lord and that person and do what is right. So they push things down inside them, and I've seen many, many cases where such sin leads to physical ailments - and they are quick to ask for healing - but it won't come because their physical ailment started in their offense.
 
I once had a woman approach the prayer line using a walker and showing me her stiff and bent fingers, asking for healing from arthritis. I was about to lay hands on her and the Lord spoke to me, 'Tell her to go and forgive her sister, and she will be healed.' 3 months later I was back in that church and she came walking up to me without any assistance, telling me she obeyed the Lord and went to her sister's house to make it right between them, and by the time she got home that night she was better, and when she woke up the next morning she was totally healed. Offense can do that and more to a person.
 
People in offense feign forgiveness, saying "I accept your apology" but then refuse to truly pick up the relationship where they left off, proving their words were hollow, for between 2 willing people, forgiveness results in restoration of the relationship. But you know they remain in offense because they would rather write off a relationship than do what is hard work for them of saying 'I'm sorry'.
 
Point #4 - Being offended doesn't matter to anyone but the person offended
No one cares that x brother or x sister or x church or x company offended and hurt them. Even if a friend did care, they would attempt to get them to deal with the hurt and make things right. Sometimes being offended really doesn't matter to anyone but the offended. They need to get over themselves and come to Jesus.
 
The lost art of conversation, that ability to exchange ideas even in a heated manner, yet not turn it into a personal attack, has been largely lost in world-wide culture because of offense. But I've run out of room for today and will pick it up there next week. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

Hi all,
In case you missed it
I explained in June's e-newsletter that having the UK independent of the EU sets the stage for what I put forth as my understanding of the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39, in which Russia and her allies attack Israel, but Israel's allies help defend her and defeat the invaders. The language of Ezekiel 38 seems to identify an independent Britain (or at least England) joining other nations to help defend Israel. You can find that e-newsletter at our web site www.cwowi.org, click 'articles', and then click 'newsletter'.
 
Where does Britain's exit from the EU leave the EU? The Revelation gives clues
When the UK makes it official EU membership will be 27. The founding 6 nations have called a meeting to discuss that transition. Those 6 are: Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
 
The remaining nations are: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
 
My goal today is to look at point A being Brexit and point Z being the European structure at the return of the Lord. So with that said, let us go back to the end of the first century when the apostle John was caught up into heaven and saw the Lord unseal a scroll about the end of the age, what we call The Revelation.
 
Understanding Rome as Revelation 18's Babylon in John's time
30 years before John was caught up into heaven and saw the vision we know as The Revelation, in I Peter 5:13 writing from Rome, Peter called Rome 'Babylon'. That letter had been circulated to all the churches in the Empire, so that over those 30 years every disciple of Jesus knew Babylon was code for Rome.
 
So when The Revelation chapter 18 calls a city 'Babylon', and notes she was 'drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus' and apostles, prophets and all who were slain for their faith, and he described the capital city as clothed in purple and scarlet, the colors of the Roman royalty and Caesars - it was clear to the original readers 'Babylon' was Rome, the capital city of the Roman Empire and seat of emperor worship and martyrdom. (18: 6, 16, 20, 24) 
 
What kind of structure does The Revelation describe?
With 27 remaining nations in the EU, will there be further exits after Britain? John describes the city of 'Babylon' sitting upon many waters (17:2). He is told in 17:15: "The waters which you saw...are peoples and multitudes, and nations and languages." The prediction is a European governing body over many nations.
 
John is told the city Babylon sits on a 'beast' with 7 heads and 10 horns*, and is told the 7 heads are 7 mountains. The use of 'mountains' in prophecy means nations. It is used in Daniel 2 to describe the kingdom of the Father when he describes a stone (Jesus) cut out of a mountain (The Father) and that stone (Jesus) comes down to earth and grows to become a mountain that rules the whole earth (The kingdom of the Father through Jesus). We also saw it in Ezekiel 38:21 when God calls for calls 'my mountains' to join them fighting the invaders. So 7 mountains means 7 nations at the core of European government. *17:9
 
But the fact 'the beast' sits on many nations, would hint that there are more nations it rules over than the core 7, but John focuses on events surrounding the core 7 nations. In early Roman history these were 7 regions and the Empire was a 'superstate' while retaining individual regional differences. In Revelation 17:12 it is further explained to John the 10 horns are 10 kings, with this description: "...which have received no kingdom, yet have the authority of kings..."
 
The issue before the EU and world
That is a perfect description of the basic structure of the EU ruling body, and what contributed to the Brexit vote - the idea of Britain giving its sovereignty away to a group of leaders in the EU who don't have a nation, yet who have the authority to make decisions for the UK and all member nations. Look for the issue of nationalism versus being more of a 'superstate' in unity to be with us to the end, because... 
 
...the last half of The Revelation 17 is about how these 10 kings overseeing 7 core nations will give their hearts to the ruler, while also hating they system, seeming to indicate a love/hate relationship and much infighting going on in this end times governing body and member nations.
 
In between point A and point Z: What happens after the war of Ezekiel 38 & 39
Think about the world Ezekiel describes post-war. God says He will send 'fire' on the attacking nation's homelands when they attack Israel. In war then and now, you want to take out their command, control, and communications, which means not the whole nation but rather their government seat and ability to govern will be destroyed, effectively removing Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Libya, from the world stage.
 
That leaves Israel standing alone as the dominant authority and power in the region. Europe will be scrambling to make treaties with Israel in light of the suddenly new arrangements of oil, gas, food, and other trade flowing into Europe from the Middle East. 
 
A leader will emerge in the Mediterranean region, presumably centered in Europe as The Revelation would indicate, but could also include an alliance of other nations around the Mediterranean all looking to make treaties with Israel. I believe that treaty will also allow Israel to build their temple on the Temple Mount - who is left right after the Ezekiel 38 war to oppose them other than verbal objections?
 
Natural disasters between now and then
The Revelation also details that in the midst of Europe and the Mediterranean region going through rearrangements in governments, there are 2 asteroid hits the earth takes, 1 on land and 1 in an ocean, blocking 1/3 of sunlight and moonlight - resulting in poisoning of the waters of the earth and a large dust cloud described in chapter 9 as causing a 5 month long plague of sores and famine, and wars. The Revelation says 1/4 of all people die as a result. Additionally, 16:8-9 says (in modern language) solar flares will reach to the earth and burn people and cause great heat, indicating the normally protective magnetic field covering the earth will be breached temporarily. I have a series on the natural disasters of The Revelation if interested in more information.
 
My point today was to look at point A, Britain's vote to leave the EU, and to look at point Z, the European governmental structure in place at the Lord's return. The rest is filler information and should not be our focus, but just to provide insight into where the world is headed.
 
Look for a rise in nationalism driven by immigration policies of liberal leaders. Look for possible talk of the core EU members forming a super state, or at least go more towards 'oneness'. Maybe others will drop out before that, maybe they will remain basically unchanged for awhile, we don't know. Look for economic turmoil as it gets sorted out.
 
Remember that the Brexit vote didn't catch the Father by surprise, and whatever promises He has made to you, He did so knowing full well about world events, meaning what He has said will come to pass regardless of world events. Our mind should be set on doing right in all things as we seek to become more like Him every day, and watch and pray concerning events around us - but our individual focus remains on Christ in us, and living godly lives.
 
I refer again to something Corrie ten Boom famously said, "It is never unwise to trust and unknown future to a known God." Amen.
 
Random thought next week...until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]