What does Stewardship encompass?

The Biblical principle of stewardship of our finances encompasses three separate points. Firstly it relates to good money management. We need to be careful not to squander the resources that God gives to us. We should learn good money management techniques, and learn not to be susceptible to impulse buying.

The second aspect of stewardship is related to investing to make the resources that God gives to us grow, so that we can sow more back into the Lord’s work. In the parable that Jesus told about the three servants who were given gold coins. Two of them invested the money and gave their master more than He had entrusted them with. The third servant went and buried it for safekeeping – and the master was angry at that servant for not putting the money He had been entrusted to use.

The third aspect of stewardship is giving. We have been commanded to “Give tithes and offerings to the Lord”.

We have been instructed us to be good stewards and to use what God gives us wisely.

I believe that God wants to bless his children and to bless them abundantly.

Don’t we want the best for our own children? We don’t want them to struggle financially and have the pressure of trying to make ends meet.

I am sure that our Father in Heaven is exactly the same. He wants us to put Him first in our lives, and in turn wants to bless us.

God wants us to be financially secure not just so that we don’t have to struggle with financial pressures – but also because prosperity allows us to bless others more.

When we wisely invest our finances we will have more available to effectively support the missionaries in the field, to finance Christian satellite TV stations and to support the needy in our local community.

A wealthy person has far more power to aide the needy financially than the best-meaning poor person.

I believe God is calling us to embark on the road to financial security so that we can be in the position to fund the resources needed to assist in the great revival.

Some Christians believe that it is wrong to desire wealth, but at the same time they try to give whatever they can. They fail to see that they would be able to give far more generously if they possessed invested what they had and increased their finances.

We need to remember that our finances belong to God. He is our master and we are just the caretakers. We should do our utmost to carefully manage and increase what He has given us, and be open to Hearing from the Holy Spirit to guide us in the direction that He leads us to sow these finances back into.

God is calling us to be proactive with investing. He wants us not only to have faith and believe that He wants to bless us, and to openly and joyfully accept what He wants to give us, but to also seek the wisdom and knowledge that are required both to create and to manage wealth.

With more wealth comes more responsibility. But I believe that as we take care of the little that God has given us, and are faithful in giving as He directs – He will Help us learn what we need to know and will Help to point us in the right direction so that we can continue to create more and use it wisely.

He wants us to become wise investors, and to find out as much knowledge as we can to enable us to make wise, well informed decisions.

At school we were taught skills to enable us to leave school and get a job and earn a wage. But we were never taught how to manage our finances or how to build wealth. We were not taught how to invest.

As good stewards, we need to self-educate ourselves about how-to and where-to invest our resources for the most effective growth.

Debra Lohrere is the author of Christian Prophecy and Investment books http://www.investmentpropertybooks.com/christianbooks.html

Are all the dead Christians in Heaven?

It has long been taught that when a Christian dies they go straight to heaven. Is this what the Bible teaches or have paganistic doctrines and myths crept unbeknown into our Christian faith?

What did Jesus say about his friend Lazarus who had died? John 11:11-14 “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead”.

Jesus clearly showed us that the dead sleep. If Lazarus had gone to heaven Jesus would have said that he was in heaven with the Father. Also, after Jesus raised Lazarus, did anyone ask Lazarus “What was it like in heaven? Tell us about it”. No one did, because it was the belief of the day that when someone died they slept until the resurrection on the last day.

This is further clarified in Psalms where we are told that when we die our thoughts perish Psalms 146:4 “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish”.

We are also told that we will not rise again until the heavens are no more (when Jesus returns) Job 14:12 “So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep”.

Paul reinforced this understanding 1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first”:

Many Christians believe that when they die they go directly to heaven, even though the day of judgment has not even occurred yet. They visualize themselves in heaven with the angels praising God. But what does the Bible say? Psalms 115:17 “The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence”.

It is clear that the Bible writers all believed that the state of the dead is like sleeping, to be awakened the moment after they closed their eyes at the final trumpet at the coming of Jesus on the day of redemption. 1 Corinthians 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed”.

Job made it clear that we return to dust and are no more until the resurrection Job 7:21 “And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be”.

There are many deceptions of Satan going on in these end times and spiritism is on the increase. If people realized that the dead are all asleep and can’t communicate with us, then they would start to question who exactly it is that they are communicating with. There are many deceptive demonic spirits in the invisible world around us, who take every opportunity they can to lead people astray. It is time that we recognized that when mediums are speaking to the ‘other side’ it is actually the evil angels that they are talking to and not dead beloved relatives.

How can we help those who have been tricked by these deceptive spirits, if we don’t demonstrate to people from a Biblical perspective that the dead are asleep and have no thoughts, so it can’t be them doing the communicating?

All Bible references are from the King James Version.

For more info visit Truth about Death
By Debra Lohrere Christian Investment and Prophecy Books

Is anyone burning in Hell today?

There are various lines of thought in relation to Hell. Some believe that neither Heaven or Hell exist and that when we die that it the end of our existance. In Christian circles some teach that Hell is merely a ‘separation from God’, others contend that it is a fiery place of eternal torture where sinners instantly go at the moment of death. According to this theology, the lost are sizzling right now, somewhere in the fiery bowels of this earth. Most Christians believe that Hell is an eternal place of suffering. Is this what the Bible really teaches?

In the New Testament there are three different Greek words that are translated into “Hell” in English. They are “Tartarus,” “Gehenna,” and “Hades.” Tartarus is used only once in 2 Peter 2:4 “God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell [Tartarus], and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.” Tartarus means “dark abyss” or “place of restraint.” Notice also that it says the evil angels are reserved unto judgment, meaning that the day of judgment has not occurred yet, and they are not currently in the red hot fiery underworld. We know that in fact they are busy roaming the earth, actively tempting and attacking the people of God as well as the lost.

The second word used for Hell is “Gehenna” which is derived from Hinnon, a rubbish dump outside of Jerusalem where trash and dead animals were burned. It continually smouldered during Bible times. Jesus used this word when He warned about the danger of Hell Fire at the ‘end of the world’ Matthew 13:40-42 “The harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the weeds are gathered in burned in the fire, so shall it be at the end of this world. The Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them that do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire, and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” This word does definitely relate to fire and being burned up or consumed away.

In the above verse you will notice that Jesus spoke of the Hell Fire being at the end of the world. Peter further clarified the timing of the Hell Fire to be at the day of judgment, not in the present time 2 Peter 3:7 “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men”.

The Bible clearly shows that ungodly men will be burned up by Hell Fire after the millenial reign of Christians in Heaven. Noone’s loved ones are burning in Hell today. Our just and loving God does not sentence anyone to Hell Fire before they have been judged on the day of judgment.

The third Greek word translated to Hell is “Hades” which means the grave. Revelation 20:14-15 “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire”. This verse clarifies that “Hades” itself is not a fiery place, but will be cast into “the lake of fire.” This verse is really saying that death and the grave will be consumed by fire and will be no more. There will be no longer be any more death and no more graves.

For more info visit Truth about Hell
By Debra Lohrere Christian Investment and Prophecy Books

Is anyone burning in Hell today?

There are various lines of thought in relation to Hell. Some believe that neither Heaven or Hell exist and that when we die that it the end of our existance. In Christian circles some teach that Hell is merely a ‘separation from God’, others contend that it is a fiery place of eternal torture where sinners instantly go at the moment of death. According to this theology, the lost are sizzling right now, somewhere in the fiery bowels of this earth. Most Christians believe that Hell is an eternal place of suffering. Is this what the Bible really teaches?

In the New Testament there are three different Greek words that are translated into “Hell” in English. They are “Tartarus,” “Gehenna,” and “Hades.” Tartarus is used only once in 2 Peter 2:4 “God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell [Tartarus], and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.” Tartarus means “dark abyss” or “place of restraint.” Notice also that it says the evil angels are reserved unto judgment, meaning that the day of judgment has not occurred yet, and they are not currently in the red hot fiery underworld. We know that in fact they are busy roaming the earth, actively tempting and attacking the people of God as well as the lost.

The second word used for Hell is “Gehenna” which is derived from Hinnon, a rubbish dump outside of Jerusalem where trash and dead animals were burned. It continually smouldered during Bible times. Jesus used this word when He warned about the danger of Hell Fire at the ‘end of the world’ Matthew 13:40-42 “The harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the weeds are gathered in burned in the fire, so shall it be at the end of this world. The Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them that do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire, and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” This word does definitely relate to fire and being burned up or consumed away.

In the above verse you will notice that Jesus spoke of the Hell Fire being at the end of the world. Peter further clarified the timing of the Hell Fire to be at the day of judgment, not in the present time 2 Peter 3:7 “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men”.

The Bible clearly shows that ungodly men will be burned up by Hell Fire after the millenial reign of Christians in Heaven. Noone’s loved ones are burning in Hell today. Our just and loving God does not sentence anyone to Hell Fire before they have been judged on the day of judgment.

The third Greek word translated to Hell is “Hades” which means the grave. Revelation 20:14-15 “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire”. This verse clarifies that “Hades” itself is not a fiery place, but will be cast into “the lake of fire.” This verse is really saying that death and the grave will be consumed by fire and will be no more. There will be no longer be any more death and no more graves.

For more info visit Truth about Hell
By Debra Lohrere Christian Investment and Prophecy Books

What is the Beast of Revelation and its Mark?
The prophet Daniel gave us a 2300-year prophecy that spanned up to the year 1844, depicting when the end-times of earth’s history would begin.

There are several prophecies in the book of Revelation that tell us about the very last days and the signs to look for and with these comes a severe warning of the consequences of taking the Mark of the Beast Revelation 14:10-11 “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name”.

It also tells us that those who take the Mark were deceived Revelation 19:20 “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast…”.

This shows clearly that the Mark of the Beast will not be something obvious. Those who take the Mark of the Beast on their hand (depicting their actions) or on their forehead (depicting their decisions) will do it unknowingly, because they have not studied the prophecies and have not known what to look out for.

Many people don’t realize also that there are two marks, the mark of the beast and the mark or seal of God, and that both of these marks revolve around worship. Revelation shows that those who love and worship God, honouring Him in the way He has requested will be sealed with His Mark by the angels.

The Bible shows that the difference between the two groups of people is that the followers of God are the ones who keep all of His Ten Commandments Revelation 14:11-12 “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus”.

This proves then that the Mark of the Beast cannot be a microchip or a tattoo of 666 as some have suggested. The Mark of the Beast, in line with the rest of the book of Revelation is symbolic.

The mark on our forehead reflects our conscious decisions to either follow God, or to disobey Him. When it speaks about Christians living forever in the New Heaven and New Earth it says that we will have His name on our foreheads, again being symbolic not literal Revelation 22:4-5 “And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads…”

The Beasts (prophetically a political or religious ruling power) have been identified as political-religious governments that follow apostate (non-Biblical) doctrines and inflict persecution on the true followers of God, who obey His commandments.

The First Beast is a historical figure and was identified by many of our early church founders as the Roman Catholic Church, as she met all of the prophetic criteria given in the books of Daniel and Revelation. Martin Luther aptly conveyed the sentiments of the Protestant reformers when he said “We here are of the conviction that the papacy is the seat of the true and real Antichrist...personally I declare that I owe the Pope no other obedience than that to Antichrist.” (Aug. 18, 1520) Taken from The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Vol. 2., pg. 121 by Froom.

The Second Beast, which is yet to emerge has been acknowledged by many leading Bible scholars as being a merging of State and Religion in America at some stage in the future.

What was the Mark of the First Beast? The Catholic Church in much of its literature claims that changing the Sabbath to Sunday is the “Mark of her authority”.

The Seal of God, His Name (Lord), Title (Creator) and Realm (Heaven and Earth) are referenced within His Fourth Commandment to keep His Seventh Day Sabbath and as we are clearly shown those who are true to God will be keeping ALL of His commandments.

Revelation also speaks of the First Beast as a Mother, meaning that she has daughter churches and in effect the Protestant churches who follow the apostate teaching of observing Sunday as the day of worship instead of the “Friday evening to Saturday evening” Sabbath of the Bible, are making themselves the daughters of the ‘Harlot Woman riding the Beast’ of Revelation unawares.

This does in no way mean that God does not have His faithful people in many denominations today. To the contrary, there are many true and faithful believers who are simply ignorant to the fact that they are breaking one of God’s sacred commandments by not upholding His true Sabbath day. But Revelation tells us that God will call these people out of the apostate churches and into His final remnant church Revelation 18:4 “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues”.

For more information please visit http://www.666mark-of-the-beast.net/
Debra Lohrere is the author of Peace, Prophecy and False Fire, 10 Commandments and 666 Prophecy and Christian Investing and Money Management Christian Investment and Prophecy Books

Is the Secret Rapture Biblical?

One of the most controversial subjects in relation to the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus, is whether or not there is a Secret Rapture of Christians seven years prior to His return.

We know from Paul’s writings that at the last trump, when the trumpet sounds the dead in Christ will rise first and those believers on earth will be changed in an instant and receive our new immortal bodies 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

This raises the question, if there had already been a Christian rapture seven years earlier, why would Paul be telling them that he expects them to still be on earth (remembering that Paul did not know the timing of the Lord’s return and wrote with the expectation that perhaps it would be during his lifetime)?

Paul states clearly that these events takes place “at the last trump,” not seven years before it. He shows that, “the trumpet shall sound.” So it will be loud, not quiet or secret.

Some teach that Jesus Christ will return secretly in the twinkling of an eye, but Paul actually says it is the changing of the bodies of believers from mortality to immortality that happens in the twinkling of an eye. Therefore, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 does not teach of Christians mysteriously vanishing at all. Rather, it reveals an extremely loud, audible return of Jesus Christ during the final sounding of the last trumpet and the instant transformation of believers into their new immortal bodies at the end of the world.

Paul also wrote 1 Thessalonians 4:16 - 5:4 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write to you. For yourselves know that the day of the Lord so cometh like a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then cometh sudden destruction upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief”

So as well as again telling the people that they will be on earth when Jesus comes, he is also telling them that they should be ready for his return, so that it will not be unexpected the way it will be for the unbelievers. It describes a loud audible return of the Lord and the Christians meeting him in the air. He says that Jesus comes down from heaven, true believers are caught up together, and sudden destruction comes upon the lost. Again this does not depict a secret rapture in any way, and he is saying that the Christians will still be on earth at the final trump.

We need to study the Word of God so that we are prepared for what will happen in the final events of Earth’s history.

For more information of this topic please visit http://www.ChristianRapture.comDebra Lohrere is the author of Peace, Prophecy and False Fire and Christian Investing and Money Management Christian Investment and Prophecy Books

Are Christians Raptured before the Tribulation?

Today many people are teaching that Christians will be taken away in a secret rapture, seven years before the return of Jesus, and that they will escape the Earth’s final tribulation period.

Is this what the Bible really says?

After describing the “persecutions and tribulations” which the early believers where enduring, Paul wrote: 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.”

This shows that Paul was expecting that the church would be enduring persecution and tribulation right up until the coming of Jesus at the very end of the world.

The idea that the church will be raptured away before the period of tribulation sounds good, because no one wants to go through persecution or hardship, but the fact is that throughout history Christians have suffered for their faith, and there will be no relief from that until the end of the world.

Almost every time the word tribulation is used in the New Testament it is referring to things that Christians go through, not that they escape from.

Matthew 24:21-22 “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.”

Revelation 2:10-11 “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death”. Paul is showing clearly that Christians must ‘overcome’ the tribulation and remain faithful even unto death.

Revelation 7:14 “And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”.

These verses and many others all clearly indicate that the church will have to endure and overcome the time of tribulation.

The thing that the church will be protected from though, are the seven last plagues, because the angels seal all of God’s people before the plagues are unleashed. It will be just like the time of the ten plagues in Egypt, where God did not allow His angels to harm any of His people, and where the angel of death passed over the Jews who had marked their doorposts with the blood of a lamb in obedience to God’s instructions.

We need to study the Word of God so that we are prepared what will take place in the final events of Earth’s history.

For more information on this topic please visit http://www.rapturetruth.org/
Debra Lohrere is the author of Peace, Prophecy and False Fire and Christian Investing and Money Management Christian Investment and Prophecy Books

Is there really a Secret Rapture?

The secret rapture doctrine teaches that the coming of Jesus will be in two separate stages. The first, a secret rapture of the Church at the beginning of a seven year tribulation period followed by His glorious, audible, triumphant return to Earth accompanied by the Church at the end of the seven years.

It also teaches that during this seven-year period the Antichrist is going to come into power, sit in a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem and declare himself to be God. It says that the war of Armageddon is a literal war of nations against literal Israel, which occurs near the end of the seven years and is ended abruptly by Christ’s return with His Church. It says that literal Israel accepts the Lord as the Messiah and enters with Him as His covenant people into the 1000-year reign on earth. Those who ultimately reject Christ’s rule will be judged and destroyed at the end of the Millennium.

Is this what the Bible really shows?

In Matthew 28:20 Jesus said “…and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Why would He promise to be with the church until the ‘end of the world’ if He intended to come seven years before the end to take them out of the world?

The Bible shows clearly that God’s church will still be on earth when Jesus returns. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

It shows that when Jesus returns His angels will gather His people from the earth. Matthew 24:31 “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” How could they gather the church from the earth if the church had come back with Christ?

Every eye will see Jesus when He returns. This includes all of the non-believers and all of the believers. Revelation 1:7 “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

The Bible shows that His return will be sudden, and unexpected for unbelievers and those who have not studied His prophecies. 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 says “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” This verse also shows that the unbelievers will be destroyed when Jesus returns.

When the Lord returns there will be nothing secret about it. The dead in Christ will rise first, those of us who have overcome the time of tribulation and persecution and are still alive will be caught up to meet Him in the sky. All of the unbelievers will be destroyed and the earth will melt. 2 Peter 3:12 “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”

We will then go with Him to heaven where we will reign for a thousand years and the books will be opened and we will judge the nations. Revelation 20:4-5 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus (definitely shows that they were on earth during the tribulation), and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”

The Bible shows that Jesus comes and gathers His people and that the unbelievers are all destroyed and are not raised again until the end of the millennium. The believers reign in heaven for a thousand years, as the earth has been destroyed. At the end of the millennium God makes a “new heaven and a new earth”.

All Bible references are from the King James Version.

For more information on this topic please visit http://www.secret-rapture.com/Debra Lohrere is the author of Christian Prophecy and Investment Books Christian Books

Mark of the Beast Revealed.
Amid the vast array of symbols in the book of Revelation there is a severe warning relating to anyone who takes the “Mark of the Beast”. Revelation 14:9-11 “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name”.

You will notice from this text that there is more than just taking the mark. It also refers to worshiping the beast or his image or receiving the mark of his name.

There has been a lot of speculation about the mark of the beast and whether it will be a computer chip implanted under the skin, or a bar code or some sort of tattoo. These ideas revolve around the concept that whoever does not receive the Mark of the Beast will not be able to buy or sell, so therefore it has to be something that will be used to track those who pledge allegiance to the beast. There is a hole in this theory however, because even though some sort of technology may play a part in the prevention of commerce, there is more to the mark than just the buying and selling issue. As you can see from the verse above, the real issue with taking the mark, worshiping the beast or his image or receiving the mark of his name, is that it will doom you to eternal damnation.

The spiritual aspect of the mark, is also highlighted by the fact that everyone gets a mark, not just those who worship the beast, the true believers are also marked, Revelation 7:3 “Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads”.


Also the distinction between those who take the mark of the beast and those who get the seal or mark of God is shown to be directly related to obedience to the Ten Commandments. Straight after the warning about not taking the mark of the beast it shows the difference. Revelation 14:12 “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus”.

The mark of the beast will not be obvious, because it will deceive many. Revelation 19:20 “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone”.

All of the symbols used in Revelation are explained elsewhere in the Bible, for instance a Beast represents a kingdom or a political or religious power.

Daniel 7:23 “Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces”.

Therefore the beast described in Revelation 13:1, which also correlates to the fourth beast of Daniel 7 relates to an apostate religious system, one that blasphemes God, puts the rules of men above the Word of God, and one that claims to have the authority of God on earth.

All of the early Protestant reformers clearly identified the first antichrist beast of Revelation to be none other than the false system of religion, and persecuting power found within the Roman Catholic Church. During the dark ages millions of people were tortured and killed as ‘heretics’ for not bowing down to all of the precepts the church.

The Catholic Church say that the mark of their authority, is the fact that without scriptural support they changed the Seventh Day Sabbath of God to Sunday. Therefore, by their own admission, Sunday keeping (which is worshiping on a counterfeit day of worship, on the day that the pagans worship the Sun god) is the “Mark of the Beast”.

Note again that those who are saved and sealed by the angels are those that obey the Ten Commandments and that the seal (Name, Title and Realm) of God is listed in His fourth commandment, the one the Catholic Church changed. Exodus 20:10 –11 “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” This shows that God (name) is the Creator (title) of Heaven and earth (realm).

For more information on this topic please visit http://www.666Mark-Of-The-Beast.com
Debra Lohrere is the author of Christian Prophecy and Investment Books Christian Books

What is Daniel’s 70 week prophecy?

The prophecy in Daniel 9: 24-27 reads:
"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."

Daniel had been earnestly praying for his people, the Jews, who were in captivity in Babylon when he was given this vision.It is the most amazing and accurate prophecy about the coming of the Messiah. The timeline begins in 457 BC with the decree of Artaxerxes to rebuild the temple. Ezra 7:8-17 shows that the decree went out in the seventh year of the reign of Artzxerxes, so history can confirm the year.

In Bible prophecy they work on the day for a year system, Ezekiel 4:6 “...I have appointed thee each day for a year” so therefore 70 weeks, 490 days is 490 years.This prophecy is split into three sections. Seven weeks (49 years, which is the time it took to rebuild the temple), 62 weeks (434 years) till Messiah the Prince.

This takes us to the year the year AD27, which is the year that Jesus was "annointed" and began His ministry, and finally there is another week, 7 years. It says that in the midst of the final seven years the Messiah will be "cut off, but not for himself" (showing that Jesus would die after 3 1/2 years of ministry) and would cause the "sacrifice and oblation to cease". Jesus' one time perfect sacrifice on Calvary put an end to the need for animal sacrifices once and for all.

What happened in the final 3 1/2 years of this prophecy? The gospel message was still preached exclusively to the Jews, but at the end of this period, Stephen was stoned, marking the final decision of the Jewish leaders to reject Christ as the Messiah and from this time on the gospel was taken to the gentiles.

This prophecy also predicted the destruction of the temple “the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” which occurred in AD70, and signified the final “desolation”. The destruction of both the first and the second temple were both as a result of the people’s rejection and disobedience to God.

This event signified that the sacred appointment of the Jewish people as God’s chosen ones was forever annulled. Through Christ a new covenant was made, that all who followed Him would be called the children of God and seed of Abraham. Galations 3:29 “And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

What a wonderful display of the power of God these prophecies are. To foretell almost 600 years ahead of time, when He would send His son to this world to die for our sins. How Jesus would “confirm the covenant” and cease the need for performing the sacrifices that had been put in place as a shadow of the fulfilling work of our Lord.

Debra Lohrere is the author of Christian Prophecy and Investment Books Christian Books

What is the Mark of the Beast?

It is a common misconception that when the Bible refers to the Mark of the Beast, that the beast if Satan. A beast in prophetic terms is a religious, political or regal power. Daniel 7:23 “Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces”. Daniel 7:17 “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth”. Revelation also clearly shows that there is a distinction between the devil and the beast. Revelation 20:10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever”. The second beast referred to in Revelation is a false religious system with political power.

The fifteenth century protestant reformers, such as John Wesley, John Huss etc all clearly stated that the fourth beast or “little horn” power of Daniel 7 that also correlates to the first beast of Revelation could be identified as the false system of religion, and persecuting power found within the papal system. The non-biblical doctrines instituted by the Roman Catholic Church had replaced many scripturally based doctrines with traditions of man. During the dark ages millions of people were tortured and killed as ‘heretics’ for now bowing down to all of the precepts of the Roman church.

The Bible also tells us that the “little horn” power of Daniel 7:25 would “think to change times and laws”.

One of the most notable changes implemented by the papacy was the changing of the day of worship that God had implemented, the seventh day Sabbath, with Sunday worship.

The papacy go so far as to say that the action of changing the Sabbath to Sunday, without any scriptural grounds is the ‘Mark’ of their authority, showing that they have the power to override even the institutions of God. "Sunday is our mark or authority...the church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact." Catholic Record of London , Ontario, September 1, 1923.

When people say that 666 is the devil’s number, this is also an incorrect conclusion. 666 is the number of a man (being the leader of the political-religio system). Revelation 13:18 “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” It is interesting to note that one of the names given to the Pope, which is written on his triple tiered crown is VICARIUS FILII DEI, and that if you add up the Roman numerals for each letter it comes to 666.

Revelation predicts that at the end of time a second beast will arise that will be an image of the first beast, carrying out the same persecuting acts and holding the same false doctrines as the first. Revelation 13:12-13 “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” Revelation 13:15-17 “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

This shows that anyone who does not take the mark of the beast will be persecuted or killed. Then it goes on to speak of those true followers of God, who do not take the mark of the beast. Revelation 14:12 “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

It is interesting that the differentiating factor is that those who are saved will be “keeping the commandments”, and that the “Mark” of the papal system is that they changed the fourth commandment, the Sabbath to Sunday.

It seems then that the religio-political system, when it comes to power will enforce, upon consequence of death, the observance of worship on the counterfeit day, the day on which the pagans worship the sun god.

Those that stay true to the Bible based teachings and keep the commandments have the following promise to look forward to. Revelation “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

All Bible references are from the King James Version.

For more information on this topic please visit http://www.666MarkOfTheBeast.org.
Debra Lohrere is the author of Christian Prophecy and Investment Books Christian Books

Why is Wicca Witchcraft so popular?

Wicca witchcraft is said to be the fastest growing religion amongst high school and college students in America. It is also now practiced by people in many different walks of life, including professionals like lawyers and teachers.

Wiccans practice what they call White magic, which they believe is ‘good’ and differs from the ‘bad’ black magic.

The motivation behind getting involved in wicca is not sinister in any way. The people involved are wanting to tap into the good “forces” in nature, and direct them in a positive manner. They are seeking the ‘power’ to be able to perform good magic, and often times to also find a popular group to belong to. The number of witches covens is increasing daily. Wiccans promote good moral values like honesty.

Books like the Harry Potter series, and TV shows life “Buffy”, “Sabrina the teenage Witch”, “Charmed” and other similar shows have skyrocketed the popularity of wicca witchcraft, in a way that is unprecedented.

The term witch, no longer seems to be associated with an ugly old woman wearing black and riding on a broomstick, it has taken on the guise of sexy young females, or young teenage boys.

Wiccans are not evil people seeking to destroy the world, but unfortunately they are oblivious to the true nature of the powers they are tapping into.

Wiccans don’t believe in the devil, or demons and this is the greatest tragedy. They don’t realise that the source of the magic they are delving into is not from “nature” but from the sinister master of the evil invisible world. Deceiving spirits of demons are hard at work, luring the unknowing into a destructive cycle that can devastate their lives. It is not until people are heavily involved in wicca that they find they start to encounter “bad spirits”, “psychic attacks”, “bad energies” and “harmful voices” in their heads among other things. At this stage they need to start practicing what they call “protection magic”.

There really are supernatural forces of good and evil at play behind the scenes in this world and the Bible reveals to us what these forces are. The Bible foretells that in the end times there will be many occult manifestations and that deceiving spirits will be rife and will seek to deceive even the elect.

We need to be really careful not to open up the wrong spiritual gateways. We need to seek the truth. Wiccans believe in reincarnation, but the Bible says, Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” Wiccans don’t believe in the devil, and yet the Bible clearly shows that he exists. Probably the most tragic thing though is that wiccans don’t think they need to have a saviour, but the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ gave His life so that all could be forgiven, if they accept Him as Lord of their lives. 1 Timothy 4:10 “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.”

The devil is alive and well in this world and out to harm as many of God’s blessed creations as he can. If you are involved in wicca, or know someone who is, you would be well advised to have a look at both sides of the equation, and at least consider what the Bible reveals about occult practices and the source of their power.

For more information on this topics please visit http://www.wiccawitchcraft.net/
Debra Lohrere is the author of Christian Prophecy and Investment Books Christian Books

Is Speaking in Tongues a Prayer Language?

Many pentecostal churches teach that speaking in tongues is a heavenly language, the “tongues of angels”. Is this what the Bible shows? Where does this teaching originate from?

The Greek words used in the New Testament for tongues, when used in relation to speaking, simply meant “language”. The Greek “glossa” means “tongue, language,” and the verb “laleo” means “to speak”, producing the word “glossolalia”. This always refered to an earthly or known language.

There is only one verse in the Bible that mentions the tongues of angels. It is 1 Corinthians 13:1(KJV) “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal”. Is Paul really saying that he speaks in the tongues of angels? This verse needs to be viewed in context and also in relation to the translation from the Greek. The word that has been translated to “though” when translated and used in over 95% of all other places in the New Testament, has been more correctly translated to “if”. Other Versions of the Bible do translate this correctly to “if I spoke in the tongues men and angels”.

Regardless of this mistranslation, merely reading the following verses clearly reveal that Paul is speaking rhetorically, as had he been speaking literally he would be boasting that he understood all mysteries and knew everything, which we know is not the case. These verses read 1 Corinthians 13:2-3 “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing”. Paul is emphatically expressing his desire that the people should demonstrate love, generosity and charity, the important fruits of the spirit, because without these everything else becomes void. He is showing that love is the most important characteristic that God’s people need to express in all aspects of their lives and their ministries. He is not saying that he really can speak in the tongues of angels and has all knowledge.

Isn’t speaking in tongues used to edify ourselves?

It should be noted that all of the gifts of the spirit that God gave were related to building up the church. Evangelism, prophesying, teaching, preaching and speaking in tongues to reach the surrounding nations and rest of the world with the gospel message were all gifts to edify the church.

Paul writes 1 Corinthians 14:4 “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church”. Many preachers use this verse to prove that we should speak in tongues to edify ourselves and build up our faith. Is this what Paul is really saying? If we again look at this verse in context it can be seen that Paul is in fact rebuking the church at Corinth for their misuse of the gift of speaking in tongues, and telling them that it is of no use whatsoever if they speak in tongues and no one around them understands them. He says that prophesying is far more important, as that will build up the church.

1 Corinthians 14:5-7 “I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?”

He continues on to say that they may as well be speaking into the air. 1 Corinthians 14:9 “So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air”. These words are far removed from encouraging them to edify themselves? The whole purpose of his message was to encourage them to stop being self-centered and work on doing things that would build up the church.

The Bible makes it clear that speaking in tongues was for the purpose of witnessing to people in their own languages that they could understand and not speaking where noone knew the meaning of the words being spoken. 1 Corinthians 14:11-12 “Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church”.

All Bible references are from the King James Version.

For more information on this topic, please visit http://www.speaking-in-tongues.net
Debra Lohrere is the author of Christian Prophecy and Investment Books Christian Prophecy Books

Is Speaking in Tongues a gift from God?

Speaking in Tongues as we see it today in Christian churches is a relatively new phenomenon dating back to the early 1900’s.

Why is this? And in fact is what we are seeing today the same gift that empowered Jesus’ disciples at Pentecost?

The disciples were given the essential ability to speak in the languages of the surrounding nations, so that they could preach the gospel in the native tongue of all those they met. If what we see in churches today is the same gift, why was it absent from the church for over 1800 years?

Throughout the Bible it is seen that God gave His people gifts of the spirit to empower them to do what was required for a particular purpose at a particular time.
It is easy to see why God saw it necessary to give the gift of Speaking in Tongues to the early Church. How else could uneducated men have been able to spread the gospel? The question is then, for what reason would the gift of Speaking in Tongues have been reintroduced to the church after such a long absence. What possible purpose does it serve now that the church is established in almost every corner of the world?

We need to note also that when the genuine gift of tongues was given, for the purpose of evangelising, they understood what they were saying. 1 Corinthians 14:15-16 “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when you shall bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at your giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what you sayest?”
Is what we are seeing in churches today the genuine gift, or has Satan somehow been able to infiltrate the Christian world and deceive them with a counterfeit of one of God’s gifts for his own purposes?

The Bible warns us that in the end times there will be a huge outpouring of false miracles, signs and wonders that would deceive much of the Christian world. Mark 13:22 “For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect”.

Most Christians are totally oblivious to the fact that speaking in tongues is also practiced in many non-christian religions. It is practiced in African rituals and in voo doo and occult religions. Independent studies have found that there is no distinction in tongues between Christians and the followers of non-Christian (pagan) religions.

One of the most important attributes of the Holy Spirit is that He will guide us into truth. John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself;”. Truth is the understanding of the true and complete gospel message that our sins can be forgiven through the blood of our saviour Jesus. The message that we are saved by grace and not works, and that those who are saved will be obedient to the will of the Father and follow His commandments, just as Jesus also instructed. John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments”.

The fact that many churches who are practicing speaking in tongues are also teaching that we no longer have to obey the commandments, which directly contradicts what Jesus taught when He said Mathew 5:18 “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” should make us step back and take a second look at whether this phenomenon being practiced in our churches is of God or from another source.

All Bible references are from the King James Version.

For more information on this topic, please visit http://www.speaking-in-tongues.org/Debra Lohrere is the author of Peace, Prophecy and False Fire http://www.lulu.com/content/333221. Please visit Christian Investment and Prophecy Books

Wealth Creation and Christianity

All that we have and all that we are has come from God. He has blessed us with money and possessions, and he has given each of us specific talents and abilities. We have been called to be good stewards - to use our money, our time and our abilities as best we can to benefit God’s kingdom.

Giving tithes and offerings demonstrates our obedience to God, and the recognition that all we have has come from him. Giving our time in the Lord’s work, whether in ministry, helping those in need or greeting people at the Church door, shows our determination to follow the Lord’s teachings.

Why is it then, if we are happy to faithfully give our time and money, that so many Christians seem to have an issue when it comes to discussing wealth creation.

There seem to be two distinct lines of thought – the one promoted by many of the big name TV evangelists who promote the “prosperity” and “name it and claim it” teachings and the other viewpoint of many of the conservative Church officials who push the opinion that seeking wealth is ungodly.

Unfortunately both of these viewpoints seem to run contrary to the word, and to Jesus’ teachings about stewardship.

The “prosperity” teachers promote the idea that whatever you give to God, he will return to you many times over. Although this is close to the teaching of stewardship, which says that you should seek to multiply whatever God gives you, so that you can give him more back in return. It has been distorted, in as much as the actual motivation behind giving promoted by the prosperity teachers is self based (if I give more, God will give me more) instead of focusing on Christ. There is a huge difference between giving to get more, and working to increase your means so that you can give more to further the works of the kingdom.

Some now try to imply that if you are not prosperous, then your walk with the Lord must be lacking in some area, and others at the other end of the spectrum are always making condemning statements about the evils of being rich.

We need to really look at what the word says, and the examples that Jesus gave.
I firmly believe that the enemy wants to deter us from aiming to invest and make our wealth grow, as he does not want us to be successful. He doesn’t want us making lots of money that we can use for the Lord’s work. He doesn’t want us to be able to fund mission outreaches or to feed the poor or to fund Christian satellite TV channels. Some Christians seem to have the misconception that being wealthy is evil and being poor is holy. There is nothing holy about being poor. God doesn’t want his children to be in poverty. A rich person has far more power at their disposal to be able to help where financial assistance is needed than a poor person. At the same time though we need to make sure that our motivation for creating wealth is to “get so we can give” as opposed to the prosperity teachers notion that we should “give so we can get”. As long as we do not idolise money, and retain the truth that all we have has come from God anyway, then there is no need to feel any guilt about how much money we make.
There are many examples in the Bible that show God’s desire to bless his faithful followers with wealth:

(Gen 39:2) "And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian."

(Deu 29:9) "Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do".

(2 Chr 26:5) “And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper”.

and 1 Kings 3:13 “And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honor: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days”.

God loves to bless his children, especially if we in return are happy to bless others. Therefore there is absolutely nothing wrong with setting goals to be good stewards and create wealth to give back to our creator. In fact, as stewards of the resources God has given us, it is actually our responsibility to aim at increasing what we have.

We should be seeking to be successful for God. To genuinely set goals for investing both our money and time into the kingdom of God. The best way to increase your monetary wealth is not to go asking the boss for a pay rise, but rather to start a regular investment program. More important still, is to learn how to invest wisely and not be wasteful with our resources.
Before you can start investing you need to make some money available. One of the most effective methods it to use the 10/10/80 Plan. 10% of your income to God, 10% for investing and live off the remaining 80% of your income. This may take a little time to adjust to, but when you consider the long terms results that you will achieve once you start investing, you will find that it is extremely worthwhile.

You will have all heard the expression that “The second million is always easier than the first”. This is absolutely true – the reason being is that it is compounding interest that has the greatest power to create wealth, and the more you have invested that compounding can work on – the quicker your wealth will grow.

In mathematical terms 72 divided by Compound Interest Rate of Return = Years for Money to Double in Value.

Therefore if you have an investment growing at 10% compound interest, it will double in value in 7.2 years (quadruple in 14.4 years and be worth eight times as much in 21.6 years). If it is growing at 12% it will double in 6 years.

John D Rockefeller who was once one of America’s richest men said that “Compound Interest is the Eighth Wonder of the World”.

Einstein once said, “The most powerful concept or principle in the world that I am aware of is that of compound interest”.

When deciding on the best areas to invest in, it is worth taking into consideration the fact that over 90% of the world’s millionaires have made their money through property.

In Australia over the past 50 years property has averaged 10% p.a. compound growth. (Carefully selected properties have averaged even greater returns). Not forgetting that investment properties will also be generating an income from rent.

Median priced property has averaged growing at a rate of 2 – 4% p.a. higher than inflation, making it a very solid investment.

I believe the most effective way to build riches is to accumulate a portfolio of investment properties (over the space of 7 to10 years) and then let the power of Compound Interest work to your benefit.

It is possible to borrow 100% of the purchase price of a property plus expenses by securing the deposit against your own home, so that you don’t have to come up with a cash deposit.
There are many different strategies for property investing, which suit different people depending on their current income or financial position.

God will give you the wisdom to decide on the best strategies for your situation if you put in the time and effort to learn as much as you can and seek his direction. It is wise to also seek professional advice, as rules and regulations and tax effectiveness will vary between nations.
The main reason that property can be utilised more effectively than shares as an investment, is due to the added benefit of being able to highly gear an investment property.

Gearing or leveraging is where you use a small portion of your own money along with a large portion of someone else’s money (in this case a loan from the bank) to secure an investment of a far greater value than you could have using only you own money.

If you had $10,000 to invest and invested it directly into shares that were growing at 10%, then in 7.2 years they would be worth around $20,000. On the other hand if you had used that $10,000.00 as 5% deposit on a $200,000.00 property and had borrowed the remaining 95% plus establishment costs. If this also grew at 10% then in 7.2 years your investment would be worth $400,000.00. Meaning that by leveraging your investment you have gained an additional $190,000.00.

Keep in mind here that there are two types of Debt. Good Debt is where you have borrowed funds to secure a capitally appreciating, income producing asset. Bad Debt is where you borrow to buy a capitally depreciating, non-income producing item such as a car, boat or holiday.
A combination of using Good Debt to buy property and then allowing Compounding to do its work – seems to be a most effective way of creating wealth. But this is definitely not a “Get rich quick scheme”, on the contrary it is a “Get rich slowly” scheme which works most effectively over a 10 to 20 year period. It takes patience and perseverance, but after having spoken to dozens of other property investors, many of whom have become multi millionaires within the space of 10 to 15 years, I am certain that it is worthwhile.

I believe God wants to start shifting the wealth of this world into the hands of Christians, who can plant it back into his kingdom.

Debra Lohrere is the author of books and articles on property investment, how to create financial security and related topics, as well as on subjects of spiritual encouragement. Please visit Christian Investment and Prophecy Books

Spending a day with God.

To be able to develop a close relationship with God, we need to spend quality time with Him. We need to study His Word, and let His Holy Spirit speak to us through it. We require time to spend in earnest prayer, talking to Him, praising and worshiping Him. We need time to look at nature and reflect on all the wonderful creations that He has made. And finally, we need time to spend with fellow believers, to worship together in song and have fellowship with each other, encouraging one another and building up each other’s faith by our testimonies.

In this hectic world with our busy lifestyles it is so easy to get so engrossed in other things that we never have time for God. Some of us may spend a couple of hours of a Sunday morning attending church, but then the hum drum of the rat race catches up with us, and we find ourselves mowing lawns, going to the footy, or off doing other secular activities where God is just not a part of it.

With stress related diseases such as heart attack and cancer on the increase every year, the necessity to take a days break, and bask in the presence of our mighty father in Heaven, has never been so important. We need to be replenished and rested, so that our bodies have time to recuperate.

God gave us His Sabbath day as a blessing to all mankind. A day that we could truly get to know and fellowship with Him, and not have to do any work or labour. A day on which to rest, away from the worries and cares of this world. He also ordained it as a day in remembrance that He is the Creator of Heaven and Earth. The scriptures say, Exo 20:8-11 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it”.

The Bible shows the true spirit of the Sabbath. Isaiah 58:13-14 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight..” It shows that the Sabbath is a delight. It is a wonderful day and something to look forward to each week.

All Bible references are from the King James Version.

Debra Lohrere is the author of several books. Her web site is http://debra.lohrere.com/home.shtml

For more information on this topic, please visit: http://www.godssabbath.com

The Power of Prayer

There are several different types of prayer. In his letter to the Ephesians Paul instructed them to “pray with all types of prayer”. EPH 6:18 says “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints”;

What are the different modes of prayer?

Talking to God – This is the one on one type prayer – where we converse with God to develop our relationship with him. We may ask him to help us in areas that we need spiritual, physical or emotional support. It can often be just a general conversation, like with a beloved friend.

Praise and thanksgiving – This is the earnest, heartfelt prayer where we come before the Lord thanking and praising him for his mighty power and love. We may praise him for all the things he has helped bring us through and for his help in everyday situations.

Requesting God’s Power – This is where we bring a specific need before the Lord and really focus on it and plead for the Lord to help us with it. Where we request his divine intervention and power to be utilised.

Seeking God’s will for our life – This type of prayer requires us to really open up our spirit and seek to hear what God is saying to us. We need to come humbly before him, asking him to use us as a tool for his work – and praying for guidance and wisdom as we seek to follow where his is leading us. We should also ask for discernment and that we won’t be distracted or deterred if the enemy tries to confuse us.

Travailing – This is an intense emotional prayer – where we are praying with all our might for someone else. Bringing them and their needs before the Lord. Asking for a breakthrough in their life or for some specific need to be met.

Spiritual warfare – This is audible prayer where through the authority of Christ and in his name we ‘cut off’ bondages or strongholds in either our own life or for the person we are praying for. This can include prayer to cast out demons from unbelievers. This is a prayer of resistance, not aggression. Jesus said ‘Resist the devil and he will flee’. One should be careful not to say anything insulting to demonic spirits – remember that even the archangel Michael would not ‘rebuke’ Satan. When he was arguing about who would have the body of Moses, Michael did not dare condemn the Devil with insulting words, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!”
This is further clarified in the book of Zechariah where an angel would not rebuke Satan, but left it to the person who had the authority. (Zec 3:2) And the (angel of the) LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” (KJV)

Why is prayer so important?

Prayer not only lets us grow closer to our Father in heaven, but also allows him to release to us and through us his power. In (Jam 5:16) it says “…..The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (KJV)

An effective prayer life can have a huge impact on not only our own individual life, but on the lives of those around us. Through prayer we can have an impact on our local community, our country and the world.

Prayer enables spiritual growth and opens the door for the Lord to impart spiritual power. (Jer 33:3) “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not”. (KJV)

It opens the door for salvations. (Act 2:42) “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers”. (Act 2:47) “Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved”. (KJV)

Prayer opens the way for miracles .(Act 12:5-7) “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands”. (KJV)

We should pray and believe for wisdom. (Jam 1:5-6) “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed”. (KJV)

If you lack boldness ask the Lord to give you it. (Act 4:29-30)

We should always pray with determination and faith, believing for the Lord to do mighty works through us and through those we are praying for. We should always pray in line with the will of God and his word.

Debra Lohrere is the author of several books on property investment and related topics, as well as on subjects of spiritual encouragement. Please visit her homepage http://www.debra.lohrere.com/home.shtml or storefront at http://www.lulu.com/DebraLohrere

The Power of Worship

Singing praises to God or worshiping him opens up a window to heaven. As your praise reaches the heart of God, it becomes a two way stream of communication. As you touch God with your praise, his Holy Spirit touches you and ministers to you. Praise and worship can also open the door to blessings from God.

We praise God because he is worthy of all praise. He is the maker of Heaven and earth and the entire universe. He has given us life and through his son has saved us from eternal damnation. He loves us completely despite of our short comings and sinful nature.
Probably the best examples of how to worship the Lord can be seen in the life and Psalms of King David.

God described David as “a man after his own heart”. David loved God and God loved David. David had a wonderful musical talent and regularly came before the Lord in songs of love and thanksgiving. He danced and played music to praise God. In (2 Sam 6:14-15) it says

“And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet”. (KJV)

David wrote beautiful words to express his deep devotion and love for God. David actively pursued God, and desired to have a close personal relationship with him. This is demonstrated in (Psa 57:7 –10) where he writes “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds”. (KJV)

When we praise God we are allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through us directly to our Father in Heaven. The Holy Spirit’s presence can be felt right inside of us and surrounding us as we speak to the Father through him. I have heard many times of healings taking place when people have been worshiping God, and I believe this is because the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon them and ministers to their needs while they are praising God.

There are several different Hebrew words used in the Bible to denote praise and worship. These can be translated into the following English meanings.

Worship - To fall down prostrate (especially reflexively in homage to royalty or God), to bow down, crouch, fall down flat, humbly beseech, make or do obeisance, do reverence or to stoop.

Praise - Literally to use (that is, hold out) the hand; to revere or worship (with extended hands); intensively to bemoan (by wringing the hands): give thanks, rejoice; a celebration of thanksgiving for harvest, to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration) or congratulate.

The main difference between worship and praise is that we worship God for who he is, and praise him for what he has done.
You will see that many of these translations display the theme of humility – of coming before God in subservience and in reverence of his awesome power. We are not praising him as we would a child who has done well, from the viewpoint of someone who is older and wiser – we are to praise him out of our total unworthiness to even be in his presence. In humility we need to grasp the magnitude of his awesome power, love and grace and praise him for them. We need to praise him for loving us despite of how unworthy we are of his love. We need to lift his name on high, not because of who we are, but because of who he is.

Debra Lohrere is the author of books and articles on property investment, how to create financial security and related topics, as well as on subjects of spiritual encouragement. Please visit her homepage Christian Investment and Prophecy Books

The Power of Forgiveness.

The rules, regulations and principles that God tells us to abide by in the Bible are all there for our own good. They are there to protect us physically, mentally and spiritually.

In the Lord’s Prayer it says, “Forgive us our trespassers as we forgive those who trespass against us”.
Why is forgiveness so important? Why is it essential to our own well being and our spiritual walk?

There are several reasons. Firstly unforgiveness hampers our relationship with God. We are disobeying him if we don’t forgive others, which retards our relationship with him. It also leads to pent up resentment toward the person who has sinned against us. We cannot love God and hate our fellow man, as written (Mat 22:39) “….Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”. Harbouring unforgiveness that keeps us in a state that is other than loving can dampen our spiritual walk.

Secondly unforgiveness can lead to internal emotional turmoil. It means that we are permanently tied to the act of sin against us. We cannot get over it or get release from it, and move on with our lives until we forgive the person and put the consequences of their actions into God’s hands to deal with. Bad things that have been done to us in the past cannot be changed. Having grudges does not help us and does not hurt the person who we hold the grudge against. They have sinned against us and moved on with their life, but we cannot detach ourselves and move on until we give it over to God and forgive them.

Resentment and pent up anger can be extremely damaging both emotionally and also physically. Many illnesses and mental conditions are directly linked to these negative emotions. Unforgiveness can lead to turmoil and torment.

Forgiveness allows our heart to start healing. It is often a slow process, if the emotions have been bottled up for many years.

We need to remember that forgiving someone is showing them mercy that they do not deserve – just as God through sending his son to die for our sins showed that he gave us mercy that we didn’t deserve.
Forgiving others begins the process of alleviating the pain that we have kept hold of, due to the hurt that the other person has caused us. When you start to forgive the pain will start to reduce and eventually go all together.

We do not need the other person to ask for our forgiveness to give it to them. Forgiveness is not really between us and the person who sinned against us it is really between us and God. God makes it clear that it is his job to take ‘vengeance’, not ours.
Forgiveness is not an emotion it is a personal choice, effectively an action that we need to perform. We have to choose to forgive and keep on choosing it. When we do this we cut the ties to the emotional hurts and can begin to heal.

Forgiveness releases us from the bondage of resentment and bitterness and gives us freedom and peace.

Debra Lohrere is the author of several books and many articles on property investment, how to create financial security and related topics, as well as on subjects of spiritual encouragement. Please visit Christian Investment and Prophecy Books