How can anyone not be emotionally moved when we saw the joyous expressions of freedom on the faces of so many people in Iraq? I’m sure, that as they were toppling the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, freedom loving people around the world were rejoicing. The brutality of Saddam has come to an end. The people of Iraq can now begin to form their own secular or religious version of democracy. As we see in America and Saddam’s Iraq, governments instituted by men are relatively easy to understand. One does not need a doctorate in political science to see the foundations of today’s human government. Mankind, in these last days, is given two basic choices by the unseen rulers of this world system; democracy or dictatorship that is based upon religious or secular foundations. Obviously, there are variations and distinctions in each nation’s government, but at the core are one of the two. And as we have just seen in Iraq the transition from one to the other can be very violent and bloody. Even though President Bush has no idea who the unseen rulers are, he clearly understood these choices when he said recently that freedom is the “universal hope” of all mankind which includes all Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Was this a truthful statement? Is political freedom of speech, assembly, and religion the cure-all for the hearts of men? Is democracy best suited for the nature of men who were created with a free will by their Creator?

Democracy is portrayed by these unseen rulers as a system which offers God-given freedom for the pursuit of happiness, pleasure and riches, whereas in most dictatorships the people are kept poor, oppressed, and only the elite friends of the dictator enjoy the riches and freedom of this life. It seems only natural, therefore, that men would choose democracy and political freedom, and you saw that on the faces of ordinary Iraqi people as they were being freed by the American military. The battle in Baghdad will now be centered on how strong Islam’s influence will be in the emerging government and whether or not it will make peace with their arch enemy Israel. These issues could spark much violence between some Islamic fanatics among the Iraqi people and their American liberators. In addition, the hard-liners in Iran and Syria will do all they can to destabilize Iraq, as we now see happening. However, the resolve of President Bush to remake the Middle East will outlast the hard-liners, who now have been put on notice that interference in Iraq will bring about their own demise. Please read my November 2001 article “The Plot to Destroy Israel”, based on prophecies in Daniel and Ezekiel that teach Syria and Iran, led by Russia, will make unbelievable peace initiatives with Israel and the last American President. With the powerful American army sitting in the middle of Arab lands, the Islamic hard-liners will eventually come to the conclusion that making peace with Israel is the only way to get the American infidels to go home. President Bush understands this and will keep the army in Iraq until a comprehensive Middle East peace treaty is signed by all the Arab nations with Israel. It will be heralded as “democracy’s finest hour.” As always, the timing of this prophetic, groundbreaking peace treaty is in the hands of the God of Israel.

Before I became a Christian, I suppose I would be considered a super patriot, a right wing militant conservative, who today would be in lock step agreement with the President, who thought the whole world should be free to chase the elusive American dream. Like everyone else, I had no clue about these unseen rulers and their identity. But the day came in my life that all the freedoms I had did not fill what seemed like a empty bottomless hole in my heart. This spiritual condition, which the scriptures describe as the “sin nature” exists in every human being, whether he lives in a democracy or dictatorship. Here is the idolatrous deception of America’s democracy; the joy and pride that comes from political freedom and the possession of earthly things is real, but also fleeting, which then just drags one deeper into the sinful lusts for all kinds of immoral freedoms, pleasures and riches, Romans 1:21-32. And once the pleasure and pride of having more freedoms and things wears off, the nagging dissatisfaction, loneliness or emptiness of heart is just that more unbearable. In this state a person’s moods and emotions swing endlessly back and forth between pride and self pity. Even the love of family and friends cannot keep this hole filled and free us from these feelings.

My friends, this spiritual emptiness can only be filled by the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of Israel. When he fills our hearts we are free from the power of these sins. Remember, he is the one who created and loves us, but beginning with Adam and Eve, we have all sinned and rebelled against him by having other gods, which we think can give us love, joy and peace. The bottom line is that we have all replaced the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with “ourselves” and have become gods in our own eyes. He indeed created us with the God-given freedom to choose either him or the ways of his enemy, Satan, the unseen god of this world system. We all, as sinners, chose Satan when we crucified the Son of God two thousand years ago, but he rose from the dead and is now offering the people of this world forgiveness and another choice of government. And for President Bush, a professing Christian, to declare that political freedoms of democracy are the “universal hope” of all men is a colossal departure from the truth of the scriptures, which teach that Jesus Christ and his return is the “blessed hope” that God wants all men to have, Titus 2:13. A Christian has fallen back into idolatry when he rejects the blessed hope and accepts the universal hope of democratic freedom. A Christian has fallen into delusion when he rejects God’s offer of freedom from sin and accepts Satan’s offer of political freedom and protection from evil tyrants like Saddam. Please read the following scriptures.

Revelation 19: 11-16, (11)And I saw heaven opened and, behold, a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (12)His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. (13)And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called the Word of God. (14)And the armies that were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in white linen, white and clean. (15)And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he shall smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (16)And he hath on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

I discovered that not only can Jesus cleanse and satisfy my heart, but as John states in the Revelation, he offers another government, a righteous theocracy, where he is the sovereign ruler. Today, by being born again through repentance and faith in his shed blood, he offers freedom from sin that we are all born with. In the scripture above we see clearly that he is also coming to bring his government to this Earth. Please my friends, don’t dismiss these scriptures as colorful, uninspired poetry. You do so at your own eternal peril. Those in Christendom today who have truly been born again, look and long for the coming of Jesus to establish his theocracy on the Earth. For those of us who now see him spirit to spirit, long for the day when we shall behold him face to face. His government and kingdom is where the nations shall learn war no more, Isaiah 2:4, 9:6-7. No longer will crazed religious fanatics crash planes full of terrified people into buildings. No longer will nations have to react with armies to avenge such evil deeds, and thereby deceive themselves into thinking they are good and the fanatics are evil. No longer will people chase after ungodly pleasures and riches to satisfy their hearts, when the Son of God will be on the Earth providing all that is necessary for the body. Peoples hearts will be so full of Jesus and his love for others that the thought of having more things than their neighbor will no longer be the rule of the day.

As I said before I was emotionally moved upon seeing the excitement and thankfulness in the Iraqi people. I believe that God is not pleased with ruthless dictators. And he allows unsaved governments to punish evildoers like Saddam. But does this mean then that God is pleased with democracies just because he uses them and they provide freedoms for the people? Most certainly not, for this grievous error that Christendom has embraced, that America’s constitutional democracy established in 1776 represents some kind of covenant with God, must be exposed for the lie that it is. Never forget that only the nation and land of Israel has a covenant with God. The fulfillment of this covenant goes through the Lord Jesus Christ, which in the New Testament age is first spiritual, with no land and boundaries, and at the end of the age then becomes a Kingdom on this Earth, centered in Jerusalem, not Washington, 1 Peter 2:9. The promise of God to the land and people of Israel is not removed and given to the Gentiles of Christendom. The Jewish people who follow Jesus will be center stage in the coming Kingdom of Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, there is coming soon a great awakening among the Jewish people toward the Lord Jesus Christ. They will reject the lukewarm harlot that is today’s Christendom and joyously embrace their returning Messiah. There will be multitudes of Gentiles brought into the coming Kingdom as a result of this Jewish awakening, Revelation 7:1-9. Incidentally, can you imagine the Great Harlot’s indignation and outrage against Israel when “Jewish” men begin calling the President and Pope imposters who are following the wrong Jesus? They will turn on Israel and this betrayal will make Judas look like a boy scout in comparison. These Jewish Messianic prophets will stir much dissension among other Jews as well, who think the peacemaker President is their long awaited Messiah.

Satan, who is the god and creator of this world system until Jesus returns to physically dethrone him, has cleverly seduced many in Christendom into thinking that America’s militant democracy is the vehicle God will use for “them” to subdue the world, especially the insane madness of Islamic fanatics. To them the war in Iraq is but one victory in Christendom’s “just” war of liberation that began in 1776. They think that Iraq is now free to choose to follow their version of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Think about this for a moment. What will eventually happen to the freedoms of those who refuse to ride along on their bandwagon, especially as Christendom’s power and authority grows? The obvious answer is ominous, is it not? These deceivers have this lofty, arrogant attitude that Jesus is just waiting for them to take dominion over the nations and then at some point he will return to officially make them the Kings of this Earth. Some in Christendom extend this time out for one thousand years, keeping Jesus in Heaven while they rule on the Earth. There is one thing these folks should remember; Satan offered all the kingdoms and nations with their governments to Jesus if he would only follow and worship his ways, Luke 4; 5-8. Jesus knew that Satan has temporary power over all the nations, including America’s democracy, and rebuked the devil’s temptation. So then, why should we Christians accept Satan’s offer that Jesus refused? This is a grave error and I plead, no beg, with all my heart for Christendom to turn from the seductive, alluring eyes of Satan, and look and long for Jesus and his coming Kingdom.

Satan fully understands that Jesus is coming to establish a theocracy on the Earth. In the past he created a counterfeit theocracy which in these last days will reappear and even now the stage is being set for this to happen. The ancient Roman Empire was known for its Emperor worship and later the exaltation of the Papal and Queen of Heaven worship that was disguised in Christian sheepskins. Both the Emperor and the Papacy were dictatorships in the form of religious theocracies. Revelation 13 details and describes the final rise of Emperor worship in the American Presidency, supported by the Papacy of Rome, all with the blessing of Mary, the Queen of Heaven. For it is very likely that a “public appearance” of the Queen of Heaven, calling on all men and religions to make peace would have a great unifying affect, even upon the madness of most of Islam. Don’t be fooled, for this and all previous apparitions are not really Mary, but a demonic familiar spirit disguised as an “angel of light.” Today’s democracies will give way to the worship of one man and his government, Revelation 13:16-18, 17:17. This worship will be voluntary at first when the whole world is dazzled by the apparent defeat of death by the American Emperor. But as the days of God’s judgment progress on the Earth, and the voices of the Jewish prophets get louder, people will be forced to bow the knee and take the mark of the Presidency or be executed. Believe me, these sensational events will be “breaking news” on CNN and Fox News.

I recently told a longtime friend of mine, who stubbornly remains a militant patriot, that until he realizes that America’s government has the lead role in Satan’s final kingdom, he will never understand the prophecies of the Bible. Incredibly, he said he didn’t really care one way or another, for he would be raptured when Jesus returns. I begged him to consider that by his militancy he is rejecting Jesus and his teachings, that he has become ashamed of Jesus and his words, and is in danger of being rejected for his lukewarm heart when Jesus returns to take his followers to Heaven, Luke 9:22-26, Revelation 3:16. He became somewhat flustered and defended his indifference to prophecy by saying, “I know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified.” I was startled by that and said to him that he has even lost the meaning of the crucifixion. For the blood of the cross is the only way to escape from the power of darkness of these earthly kingdoms, into the Kingdom of God, Colossians 1:13. It is heartbreaking to hear militant, patriotic Christians talk about the cross and return of Jesus Christ, and yet when they are persecuted or threatened by Osamma and Saddam, join America’s armies to kill their enemies. In my last article, “Honor the King”, I wrote of God’s authorizing of unsaved, unregenerate governments to take up the sword as a restraint and deterrence of evildoers. But those who profess to be Christians can have no part in these governmental actions. My longtime friend is like most in Christendom who have joined themselves to democracy’s idolatrous deceptions. In the same sermon on a Sunday morning, you can hear the preacher talk eloquently of how Jesus willingly gave his life for all his enemies, that he is our example, and that he is coming back some day; and in the very next breath proclaim the just cause of America’s war against Islamic fanatics, and encourage Christian men to go off to war. The hypocrisy is breathtaking. I say this with no malice or anger, for I have looked long into the mirror and know the sins of my flesh that at times wear me down. I feel nothing but brokenness and compassion for people trapped in the web of Satan’s deceptions. I have been there.

It is the people from the Gentile kingdoms of this world and apostate Israel that condemned and crucified the Son of God, who came down from Heaven to save his us from sin and Satan. And demonic forces worked overtime tempting Jesus to sin, to defend himself through hate, pride and fear, but he overcame them all, thereby ending Satan’s spiritual power over us if we give our hearts to Jesus. His sinless, spotless blood is now in Heaven as complete payment for every sin committed by men. I confess that I was ignorantly part of Satan’s plot to tempt and then kill the only one who truly loved me. My sins were the nails that struck deep into the hands and feet of Jesus. I’m the one who shouted, “crucify him, give me Barabbas.” I’m the disciple who took up arms and chopped off the ear of one who came to take Jesus away, only to hear him say “put away thy sword,” and then supernaturally healed his enemy’s ear. I’m the one cowered in fear and shame who denied him before men three times before the cock crowed. I’m the Roman soldier who mocked him and forced a crown of thorns deep into his scalp. I’m the one who stood weeping at the cross with Mary and others, everyone filled with horror, remorse and self pity in that he was dying, all of us in ignorance that the blood flowing from his body was washing our sins away, and not one of us remembered that he said he would rise on the third day.

Finally, I was also there to hear him say, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Listen carefully, Jesus wants you to know what you did to him. Where were you when Jesus was killed my friends? Trust me, you will have to answer that question. There is no other way. If you say that wasn’t me, I had no part in that, then you will find yourself the target of the wrath of God at the return of Jesus Christ. You will be locked up with the God- hating demons in Hell forever. Or you can come to the foot of the bloody cross with me and cry out to a battered Savior for mercy and forgiveness. Until we do this we are lost in the darkness of this world’s kingdoms, be it democracy, dictatorship or a false theocracy. You can partake of the coming theocracy now, or walk away from the cross and be lost forever. It’s your choice. You are free to decide your own destiny.