it´s Thursday - Reflections on Genesis (47)

'Now Joseph gave these instructions to the stewards of his house, 'Fill the man's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack.' Genesis 44:1. 

Again, Joseph reveals enormous generosity towards his brothers. Forced by his family's impending hunger, Jacob had said to his sons, 'Go back and buy us a little more food,' (43:1). But here we discover that Joseph does not carefully measure out the little more food they were able to pay for. No, he has his steward fill their sacks with as much grain as they can carry. In addition, he had him place all the silver which they brought to pay for both the previous and present consignments of grain, in their sacks.

He also ordered the steward to place his silver cup, probably the one he used when they all ate together in his house, in Benjamin's sack. Though they did not know it, it was Joseph's final test to discover what his brothers were now like, 20+years on from when they sold him into slavery. As the brothers head for home Joseph sends his steward after them. When he catches up with them he accuses them of theft and finds the cup in Benjamin's sack. The now distraught brothers return to face Joseph. On entering his presence they throw themselves on the ground before him, (v 14),  convinced that they are being taken to task by God for their previous far greater crime, (v 16). Even though innocent of stealing Joseph's silver cup, they make no effort to plead their innocence, but plead for mercy.

In this world we tend to focus on our virtues and ignore or excuse our vices, our sins. We are quick to defend ourselves when accused unjustly, but slow to put our hands up when it comes to what we are guilty of. Whether it be in thought, word or deed, sins of commission or sins of omission, before God we are all guilty. Like St Paul, we all need to come to accept, 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.' (1 Timothy 1:15). We stand before him, 'without merit or pretence,' SASB 595. I am as dependent on his mercy this morning as I was when I wept over my sin and pleaded for his forgiveness 35 years ago. I praise him that his mercy is ever forthcoming, hallelujah! God bless you all.

Feasting in the Presence of Your Enemy!

by David Wilkerson | February 28, 2000

"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over" (Psalm 23:5).

Of all the wonderful promises God gives us in the 23rd Psalm, this is one of the most glorious. Think of what he is pledging to do for us here: He says he's going to set a table for us, spread wonderful food upon it, then put on a waiter's apron and serve us a feast. And he does all of this in front of our enemies.

Now, we know when God says he's catering, the dinner won't be just any ordinary meal. The word for table in this verse means "spread." God isn't speaking of just a little plate of food. He's talking about a vast spread of goods - a massive feast. He sets before us row upon row of delightful heavenly foods, for us to taste and eat.

And there is only one guest at this meal - you. God does this wondrous work of preparing, waiting and serving for every individual who loves Jesus and calls himself by his name.

Read more HERE.

Throuples Coming To America

Throuples Coming To America - 'If Marriage Is Not The Union Of A Man And A Woman, Why Limit It To 2 People?'

- Paul Bremmer in Prophesy News Watch - 

 Has the Supreme Court's ruling that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry paved the way for all kinds of non-traditional relationships to be legally recognized?

"If marriage is not the union of a man and a woman, why limit it to two people?" asked Michael Brown, a national talk radio host and author of "Outlasting the Gay Revolution." "What makes the number two unique or necessary? Why not marry yourself, as some women have recently done? Why not throuples? There are several examples of this in the last few years. Why not three women and two men? We see this already in polygamous relationships. Why not?"

Three "gay" men in Canada are asking that very question.

The three 20-something medical professionals live together in Nova Scotia as a threesome, and they now hope to start a family.

According to the London Daily Mail, Adam Grant and Shayne Curran got married in 2011. A year later they met Sebastian Tran in a nightclub and both fell for him. Grant and Curran then got divorced so they could let Tran into the fold as part of an equal, three-way relationship.

Polyamory is not legal in Canada, but the men claim they have lawyers who can draft paperwork to ensure all three are "equally bound and obligated to each other in the eyes of the law."
Tran said getting married legally is important to his partners and him.

Paul Kengor, a university professor and author of "Takedown: From Communists to Progressives, How the Left Has Sabotaged Family and Marriage," said these types of unions are inevitable once a nation redefines marriage to mean anything other than one man and one woman.

Read more HERE.

Refugees and Sweden: My perspective PART FOUR

From FSAOF blogg

On the website of the Swedish Democratic Party you can read the following words: “den sammanlagda nettoeffekten av massinvandringen från avlägna länder starkt negativt, såväl ekonomiskt som social”. My translation: the combined effect of this mass immigration of people for countries far removed from Sweden, is strongly negative for both the economic sphere as well as in the social sphere.” Let me quote from the OECD publication Migration Policy Debate, issued September 2015:  “Refugees have skills (many of them have college degrees)…. (need help in language training for them and) their successful integration as well as for a positive economic impact of these flows in destination countries.” 

So according to OECD the net effect economically is positive and not negative. Once again you can read the following: “…European countries, even if initially caught off guard, were generally able to deal successfully with the situation and largely integrated those migrants who remained. Countries also have benefited economically from these inflows in many cases, at least in the longer run.” The party’s words – “från avlägna länder starkt negativt” – my translation is “countries far removed from Sweden”. 

I suspect this is only another way of saying countries from which Muslims come. It appears to reveal a fear of Islam as a religion. A fear that the Muslim population of Sweden will seek to change our laws and put in its place Muslim law, that is, Sharia law. 

Everything is based on cost, but should it be? My answer is simple – NO! The response mandated by Scripture; don’t think about cost – use your resources in the best manner. 

Here I would like to quote from what the Founder of The Salvation Army had to say: “Brought it all on themselves, you say? Perhaps so, but that does not excuse our assisting them!” He goes on to say: “But what shall we do? Content ourselves by singing a hymn, offering a prayer or giving a little good advice? NO! Ten thousand times no!” and further he says: “But our business is to help them all the same. And that in the most practical, economical and Christ-like manner.”

The fourth General of The Salvation Army said: ”There is no reward equal to that of doing the most good to the most people in the most need”. 

And finally the words of our Lord Jesus, the Christ when He said: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” None of these individuals talk about, first you see what it costs to help, and then you decide on whether or not you want to pay the cost – no they all call for action from us. The action expected is to offer help to all who need help. No questions asked. 

In the short-term there is an increase in the costs to help these refugees, but in the long-term view it will be an economic plus to Sweden and all other countries giving refugee status to these fleeing refugees. Sweden along with most other countries of the EU has a low reproduction rate – we don’t have enough babies. We know that in the near future we are going to need people to replace those that will be entering retirement. We are then going to have to import people to Sweden, from other countries, in order to keep the Swedish Welfare System functioning. That is a simply fact. 

In the short-term there is an increase the costs to help these refugees, but in the long-term view it will be an economic plus to Sweden and all other countries giving refugee status to these fleeing refugees. Sweden along with most other countries of the EU has a low reproduction rate – we don’t have enough babies. We know that in the near future we are going to need people to replace those that will be entering retirement. We are then going to have to import people to Sweden, from other countries, in order to keep the Swedish Welfare System functioning. That is a simply fact.

In the article “Sweden Close to Collapse”, written by Ingrid Carlqvist, a Swedish Journalist, published by Gatestone Institute. As I wrote earlier, “From my research some of the leaders of this organization seem to espouse rather right-wing views.”

She writes: “If the wave of migrants keeps coming, in 10-15 years, Swedes will be a minority in their own country.” She also writes “For the last few weeks, the central train station in Sweden’s third largest city, Malmö, has been overrun with migrants; the volunteers that for the first few days showed up with food, water and clothes now seem to have lost interest.”

“The number of people of Swedish descent – born in Sweden with two parents born in Sweden – has been stable at about 7.7 million and is expected to remain stable or increase slightly due to birth surplus.” This was quoted by Ingrid Carlqvist in her article as coming from SCB Statistics Sweden.  I have checked and searched the SCB website. I did this in an effort to verify the about quote as coming from SCB, but found nothing on the site.

Ingrid Carlqvist has written: “If the wave of migrants keeps coming, in 10-15 years, Swedes will be a minority in their own country.” This is, in my view, an incorrect assumption. She also quotes from SCB the following: “The number of people of Swedish descent – born in Sweden with two parents born in Sweden….” This definition would indicate that the number of Swedes covered by this definition would be applicable to those who are the Grandchildren of immigrant ancestry. They would, after all, be considered Swedes according the SCB definition. As what I have just said is obvious or should be to thinking people, how in all the world to you get to a situation where “Swedes will be a minority in their own country”?

Leonard Johnson
FSAOF Sweden

Refugees and Sweden: My perspective PART THREE

From FSAOF blogg

Part three

My niece, Cindee, sent me a link to an article entitled: “Sweden Close to Collapse, by Ingrid Carlqvist. This was a most interesting in that it seemed to be closely aligned with the views of the Swedish Democratic Party (Sverigedemokraterna) – whom I mentioned early has their roots in the NAZI party. I will return to this article later in this article, after some more information is shared.

The Current Situation: Statistics.

In their latest report the Swedish Migration Agency has published the following information: Number of Refugees during the week ending October 18, they were     from the following countries.

Syria                    2,982

Afghanistan         2,961

Iraq                      1,652

Others                  1,584

Total                     9,179

They have also given information on the number of unaccompanied minors.

Afghanistan          1,919

Syria                       214

Iraq                          79

Eritrea                      49

Ethiopia                    39

Others                      141

Total                      2,441

The statistics reported by the Swedish Migration Agency as of October 1, 2015

Application for asylum received, 2015                  73,079

Application for asylum concerning

Unaccompanied minors received, 2015                 14,058

Now let us see some statistics about the situation in Europe. These are found in a publication published by the OSCD. “In 2014, 630 000 asylum requests were registered in EU member countries, a number last reached during the conflict between Bosnia and Serbia in 1992. According to most recent available data, up to 700 000 asylum applications have been already filed so far this year, and the number could reach 1 million by the end of the year.”

According to a newsletter from September, 2015 published by the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) you read “In August 2015, the number of asylum applicants recorded by EU+ countries reached a record high for the fourth consecutive month, with about 148 880 applications reported.”

This should convey the scope of the problem that Europe and in particular Sweden face. 

A Response to Right Wing Extremist Propaganda

A journalist is Sweden wrote an article which was published by the Gatestone Institute on October 17, 2015. From my research some of the leaders of this organization seem to espouse rather right-wing views. The journalist seems to be saying some of the same things that the Swedish Democratic Party (Sverigedemokraterna) does.

The party no longer uses the following logo: The motto is “Keep Sweden Swedish”, a reference to the party’s negative view of immigration.

Leonard Johnson, Sweden

Refugees and Sweden: My perspective PART TWO

From FSAOF blogg

Part two

Migration background

William Booth said “Brought it all on themselves, you say? Perhaps so, but that does not excuse our assisting them!” If a person wants to avoid helping, then by all means, tell me how much cheaper and better it is to help these refugees close to home. The question and discussion is not what kind on immigration policy Sweden should have – it is that we have a problem on our door step. We must help those who need help. Not change the conversation to Sweden’s immigration policy (thereby avoiding helping those in front of our noses) how that should be changed. That is a question for another day, not now!

I know that there is a question as to whether or not ISIS warriors may be among those arriving on our shores. I know that Swedes feel they are getting the short end of the stick. I know there is a raging debate going on in Swedish society. I know that we have a party that advocates closing the boarders of Sweden to all new immigration, who even want to deport those who have been granted a residence permit, to be sent back to their home countries. I know that this week, starting on October 19, 2015, the Swedish Democratic Party SD (Sverigedemokraterna) are ready to call for a plebiscite as to whether or not Swedes want to continue the current immigration policy or not. I know all this, but this does not affect my view that we are to help those who ask for our help – no exceptions permitted!

This is not the first time that Sweden, or for that matter Europe in general, has accepted refugees. The Swedish Migration Agency records some of the influx of non-swedes who arrived in Sweden. I think that most Swedes would agree that these are now to be seen as Swedes. The list includes citizens from the following countries: Germans (Middle Ages), Finnish (1500s), Romani (1500s), Wallons (1600s), Savonian people (1600s), Jews (1700s), French (1700s), Italians (1800s) and Scotch (1800s). These groups have something in common, that is, they all come from the countries Europe and share the same religion – Christianity. They are not Muslims, followers of Islam. This seems to be the unspoken “real reason” why Swedes oppose accepting those who stand on our door-step.

Throughout recorded history, there has always been a migration of peoples. In 376 A.D. the Goths stormed the boarder of the Eastern Roman Empire as they were pushed out of the land they had lived in by the invading Huns. I think that one can use the term “refugee” to attach to the Goths. They were fleeing for their lives, after all!

In the 50s and 60s Sweden experienced an influx of refugees as well as workforce immigration. The Swedish Migration Agency states: “It was the refugees from Germany, the neighbouring Nordic countries and the Baltics who, over the course of World War II, turned the emigration country Sweden into an immigration country.” This is what happened after the end of WWII until the 60s.

My x times Great Grandfather came to Sweden from what today is Finland. He came during the 1600s. My parents emigrated from Sweden to the United States during the 1920s. They were part of that time when Sweden was an emigration country. I am the child of an immigrant.

During the 70s Sweden had regulated immigration. The 80s was a decade of asylum seekers from the new countries, which once had comprised the county of Yugoslavia. During the 90s we had “ethnic cleansing” that occurred as a result of the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. This is a short history of migration of peoples.

The Current Situation in Europe; in particular Sweden.

I am going to use four words, which I think I need to define. The definition I’m going to use the following:

The term ‘migrant’ corresponds to a generic term for anyone moving to another country with the intention to stay for a minimum period of time (i.e. it excludes tourists and business visitors).

'Asylum seekers' are persons who have formally submitted a request for asylum but have not yet completed the asylum procedure, i.e. whose request for asylum is pending.

The term 'humanitarian migrant' refers to persons who have completed the asylum procedure with a positive outcome and have been granted some sort of protection (refugee status or another form of protection) or have been resettled through programmes outside the asylum procedure.

The term Economic migrant is someone who has left one country for another with the intention to stay.

These are the definitions provided by the OECD in Migration Policy Debate, No. 7, September 2015.

LEONARD JOHNSON
Sweden

Refugees and Sweden: My perspective PART ONE

From FSAOF blogg

I need to give a little background to my thinking on this subject. My thinking is conditioned on my having been a soldier in The Salvation Army for over 60 years. I have been heavily influenced by the early salvationists, from the Founder and Army Mother, to their son General Bramwell Booth and their daughter General Evangeline Booth.

First a quote from the Founder of The Salvation Army, William Booth “I am glad you are enjoying yourself. The Salvationist is a friend of happiness. Making heaven on earth is our business. Serve the Lord with gladness is one of our favorite mottos. So I am pleased that you are pleased! But amidst all your joys don't forget the sons and daughters of misery. Do you ever visit them? Come away and let us make a call or two. Here is a home, six in family, they eat and drink and sleep and sicken and die in the same chamber. Here is a drunkard’s hovel, void of furniture, wife a skeleton, children in rags; father maltreating the victims of his neglect. Here are the unemployed, wandering about, seeking work and finding none. Yonder are the wretched criminals, cradled in crime, passing in and out of the prisons all the time. There are the daughters of shame deceived and wronged and ruined, travelling down the dark incline to an early grave. There are the children, fighting in the gutter, going hungry to school, growing up to fill their parent’s places. Brought it all on themselves, you say? Perhaps so, but that does not excuse our assisting them! You don’t demand a certificate of virtue before you drag some drowning creature out of the water. Nor the assurance that a man has paid his rent before you deliver him from the burning building! But what shall we do? Content ourselves by singing a hymn, offering a prayer or giving a little good advice? NO! Ten thousand times no! We will pity them. Feed them. Reclaim them. Employ them. Perhaps we shall fail with many. Quite likely. But our business is to help them all the same. And that in the most practical, economical and Christ-like manner. So let us hasten to the rescue for the sake of our own peace, the poor wretches themselves, the innocent children, and the Saviour of us all. But you must help with the means. And as there is nothing like the present, who in this company will lend a hand by taking up the collection?”

Then there are the words of the Army Mother, Catherine Booth, who said “A salvation that does not lead to service is no salvation at all.”

There are the words of the second General of The Salvation Army, General Bramwell Booth, oldest son of the Founder and Army Mother, when he said “We in The (Salvation) Army have learned to thank God for eccentricity and extravagance, and to consecrate them to His service. We have men in our ranks who can rollick for the Lord. Thank God for the dare-devils! They led us on the forward march. They have helped to keep us free from the shackles of respectability. They keep us passionate.”

In the words of the fourth General of The Salvation Army, Evangeline Booth, daughter of the Founder and Army Mother, said ”There is no reward equal to that of doing the most good to the most people in the most need”.

And finally these words of our Lord, Jesus the Christ as found in  Matthew 25:34 - 36 NIV  "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,

I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'”

These are the pillars from which I approach the Refugee problem. My reaction is action oriented, nothing less and nothing more. We, as Salvationists, hear a call to action; we must help those arriving on the shores of Sweden! No questions asked! Just help given.

Part One of Five
Leonard Johnson
FSAOF Sweden

Russia's Prophetic Destiny May Be Unfolding With Antichrist Rising Out of Syria

- Charisma News -

Russia's recent reactivation of the "friendship and cooperation treaty" with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has prophecy students considering whether this move will prove to be significant toward ushering in the Antichrist.

Steve Magill, author of the new book Revelation and the Age of Antichrist, says "Russia's revived treaty with Syria is important because the Antichrist will appear out of Syria. Scripture also records Russia as the feet of the Antichrist ordained to mobilize his empire."

Magill notes that in Daniel 7 an empire with the national symbol of a bear will be on the world stage concurrently with three other empires, also known by their animal symbol. These empires are identified as a lion with eagle wings (Great Britain and the United States); a bear (Russia); and a leopard (Islam). Never in the history of the world have four empires with these animal symbols appeared on the world stage at the same time.

Revelation 13:2 describes the role each of these empires have in establishing the Antichrist's empire. Great Britain and the United States are recorded as the Antichrist's mouth/voice to set the agenda and lead the world toward establishing the new global world order. Russia, the bear, is recorded as the feet of the Antichrist to realign and support the Middle-East landscape. Islam, the leopard, is recorded as the body of the Antichrist's empire to which America, Great Britain, and Russia will be attached to make the earth's final empire, the Antichrist empire.

Read more HERE.

The Stakes are High, The Time is Short

From JAC online - Book excerpt from 'Blood and Fireworks' by Lieutenant Xander Coleman

Do you know that you and I are in a war? Sometimes we don’t realise because we can’t see it, but all around us good forces and evil forces are fighting each other.

God is going to win the war, because He is Good, and stronger than any evil. But He wants you and me to help Him fight in this war to save the world from evil.

Before we can do that, though, Jesus needs to save us.

You see, if I died without knowing Jesus, I’d go to hell for eternity. And eternity is a VERY long time. That’s how high the stakes are.

It’s not as if you get a ‘do-over’ or a mulligan. This life you are living is the only kick at the can you get. After that, we all face God’s judgement. Time is short. And it is shorter for some people than for others. At any moment, my life could be over.

But the Lord Jesus Christ will save me from hell if I turn away from the evil inside me and believe in Him to make me new. And then He wants me to help Him rescue all of the rest of my family, friends, class mates, team mates, and neighbours before they tumble over the cliff into hell. It’s the same for you. To the rescue! The stakes are high, and the time is short!

This picture depicts what we’ve just explained. And we’ll show you other excellent pictures from The Salvation Army’s official periodical the War Cry from way back when your grandparents used to read the paper. We’ve collected all the best War Cry pictures we could find that stir up love for God and lost people and we explain them to you on each page. You can colour them in; you can memorise the Bible verse of the day; you can do one each day, if you like; you can share them with your friends. Read the story. Ask God to help you understand. And then colour away!

The Salvation Army’s way of doing things is ‘Capture, Train, Deploy’. We capture slaves of the devil for Jesus. We train them up to be warriors of Jesus. And we deploy them on the fronts of the salvation war.

Sweden: Israel's most fervent European opponent

- ynetnews - 

The Swedish government has not published a single condemnation of any of the attacks in the current terrorism wave Israel is experiencing, even though Israel has asked it to do so. Media coverage is also biased against Israel, and so are the Swedish church's activities, which ostensibly deal with inter-religious affairs and not politics.

   Israel's Foreign Ministry has recently declared Sweden to be the most anti-Israeli European country. Another evidence supporting this designation came on Monday, when Scandinavian Airlines, the national airline of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway (the Scandinavian countries), announced that it will no longer be flying to Israel due to lackluster profits and "the political instability in the region".

Read more HERE.

SA Today - ‘Slaves for Sale’

The Salvation Army in London depicts selling people to raise awareness to the increase in modern slavery with 'Slaves for Sale' on Oxford Street.

It´s Thursday (46) - Reflections on Genesis

'It's all right,' he (Joseph's steward), said, 'Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.' Genesis 43:23

I just love the humour in God's word. I couldn't help but chuckle at what the steward said when I read this verse. Imagine the picture. Joseph's brothers returned to Egypt with Benjamin, and when Joseph saw them he ordered, (obviously in Egyptian), that his steward take them to his house and prepare a sumptuous meal for them, (v 16). They were scared. They thought the worse when they arrived at Joseph's house. They thought their arrival there was a prelude to something terrible that he had in store for them for stealing the silver that they had found in their sacks.

Consequently, they put the case supporting their innocence to Joseph's steward, believing that the fact that they had now returned the silver they had found in their sacks following their first visit, would confirm their innocence. Assuring them there was no need to be afraid, the steward  humorously replied, saying that he had their payment and that it was their God who put the silver in their sacks. On one level that may well have been true if one believes that Joseph was following God's directions and that God had planned the whole scenario.

It is a natural thing for us to be fearful. Especially when situations and circumstances change, especially when our welfare is in the hands of another. Why else would Jesus so often say, 'be not afraid,' (Matt 14:27, 17:7, 28:10), or 'fear not,' (Matt 10:28,31, Luke 8:50, John 12:15) to his disciples? 'Wherever we may find ourselves, help us to ever trust you and not be afraid, dear Lord, amen.' God bless you all.