by Steve McCranie | Jun 24, 2019
Now, even FOX News is covering the inevitable. The following is from Doug MacKinnon and was posted on the FOX website on Sunday, June 23, 2019.
We will speak much more about this on our website beginning in mid-July. But for now, read this and consider what Doug says.
Will You Survive the Coming Blackout?
There are many never-ending debates between Republicans and Democrats. Impeach vs. don’t impeach; capital punishment vs. life in prison; wall vs. no wall; legalizing marijuana vs. not; self-driving cars vs. human drivers; Red Sox vs. Yankees; takeout vs. home-cooked; or Gone With the Wind vs. any other movie.
All of these issues are stunningly important, right up to the second where cataclysm falls and creates a nightmare scenario that so many fear.
That cataclysm is a complete loss of electricity and every mode of convenience and survival we take for granted.
The largest red flag on this issue in years just waved in South America. Last weekend, tens of millions of people in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay found themselves in a complete blackout. In one moment, they had electricity. The next moment, they had none, and they were catapulted back to the 1800s.
Only much worse.
People in the 1800s were not dependent upon electricity for their jobs, money, communication, Internet, transportation, education, security, medical services, prescriptions, water, and very lives.
The national power grid of the United States is truly a mess held together with, as the joke goes, by not much more than “baling wire and chewing gum.”
The average age of large power transformers in the United States is 40 years. Seventy percent of all large power transformers are at least 25 years old. It’s little wonder that, according to data from the Department of Energy, the United States suffers more blackouts than any other nation in the developed world.
The overall system is so weak, so taxed, and so vulnerable that in 2003, over 50 million people in the United States and Canada were hit with cascading blackouts simply because a tree branch fell on a power line in Ohio.
Because the infrastructure is so antiquated, weather triggers multiple blackouts per year in the U.S. Blackouts which collectively cost the nation upwards of $30 billion in spoiled inventory, lost wages, and repair of the grid.
Unfortunately, weather is becoming the least feared trigger of a blackout. In the age of terrorism and increasing cyber-threats, our power-grid getting taken down by a hack is no longer seen as a question of “If it will happen,” but rather, “When it will happen?”
The U.S. government is so rightfully fearful of this, that last November, it ordered DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) to war-game a complete cyber take-down of the U.S. power grid.
An exercise they are now wisely running on a regular basis.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, just last year, hackers – strongly suspected to be Russian – gained access to a number of utility control rooms in the United States and got to the point where “they could have thrown switches.”
The DHS report further stressed: “Russian government cyber actors targeted government entities and multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including the energy, nuclear, commercial facilities, water, aviation, and critical manufacturing sectors.”
Aside from the Russians, the Chinese, North Koreans, other terrorist states, and even cyber-extortionists, are targeting our power grid on a daily basis.
That clock is ticking.
Unfortunately, much like any large terrorist attack, when an extended regional or national blackout hits, you and your family will be on your own. No one is going to ride to the rescue.
How will you survive?
In the blink of an eye, you will lose access to money, food, gasoline, communication, medicine, medical attention, heat, air conditioning, and security.
Gone.
Even though most don’t do it, residents of California and Florida are reminded every year to assemble their “two-week” survival kit. In California, it’s because of earthquakes. In Florida, it’s because of hurricanes.
Survival kits which include water, non-perishable food, medicine, first-aid kits, batteries, a radio, flashlights, candles, cash, a hand-crank charger, with smaller versions of all for your vehicle and office.
The federal and state governments should be issuing that same reminder to every citizen in the nation about the coming blackout. It truly is not a question of “if,” but of “when.”
A night on the town for a movie, dinner, a sporting event or a political debate is great fun until none of it matters and your survival is literally at stake.
Make a plan, because you will be on your own.
by Steve McCranie | Jul 2, 2017
The Judgement Seat of Christ is the first of seven great judgments that will occur. And for the believer, it’s the most important. Why? Because at this judgment all church-age believers will appear before Christ to give an account of their lives for reward. Or, in the case of many, no reward. Consider the following:
2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we (Paul includes himself) must (not optional) all appear before the judgment seat (bḗma) of Christ, (why) that each one (personal and individual) may receive (review and reward) the things done in the body, (review) according to what he has done, (reward) whether good or bad.
These are some of the main areas that will be examined when we stand before the Lord:
- How we treat other believers (Matthew 10:41-42; Hebrews 6:10)
- How we employ our God-given talents and abilities (Matthew 25:14-29; Luke 19:11-26; 1 Corinthians 12:4, 7; 2 Timothy 1:6; 1 Peter 4:10)
- How we use our money (Matthew 6:1-4; 1 Timothy 6:17-19)
- How well we endure personal injustice and being mistreated (Matthew 5:11-12; Mark 10:29-30; Luke 6:27-28, 35; Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Peter 4:12-13)
- How we endure suffering and trials (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10)
- How we spend our time (Psalm 90:9-12; Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:5; 1 Peter 1:17)
- How we run the particular race God has given us (1 Corinthians 9:24; Philippians 2:16; 3:12-14; Hebrews 12:1)
- How effectively we control our fleshly appetites (1 Corinthians 9:25-27)
- How many souls we witness to and win for Christ (Daniel 12:3; 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20)
- How much the Rapture means to us and shapes our lives (2 Timothy 4:8)
- How faithful we are to God’s Word and God’s people (Acts 20:26-28; 2 Timothy 4:1-2; Hebrews 13:17; James 3:1; 1 Peter 5:1-2; 2 John 1:7-8)
- How hospitable we are to strangers (Matthew 25:35-36; Luke 14:12-14)
- How faithful we are in our vocations (Colossians 3:22-24)
- How we support others in ministry (Matthew 10:40-42)
- How we use our tongues (Matthew 12:36; James 3:1-12)
Are you ready to stand before the Lord and have your life judged by His standards? Because it will happen. There is no escape. And if not, what are you prepared to do about it? What changes are you willing to make in this life to be rewarded for in the next? But be warned, time is running out.
If you want to find out more about how to prepare yourself to face the Lord at the Judgment Seat of Christ, then keep listening.
The following is a study on the Judgment Seat of Christ.
To download the slides for this message, click – HERE
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by Steve McCranie | Jun 26, 2017
One of the major reasons we study prophecy is called the Law of Proportions. This law states the more ink the Lord uses in His Word to communicate a message, the more important that message must be. Consider the following regarding the Old Testament:
Number of Verses in the Bible: 31,124
Number of Predictions in the Old Testament: 1,239
Number of Old Testament Verses that Contain Predictions: 6,641 out of 23,210
Percent of the Old Testament that is Prophecy: 28.5%
What about the New Testament?
Number of Predictions in the New Testament: 578
Number of New Testament Verses that Contain Predictions: 1,711 out of 7,914
Percent of the New Testament that is Prophecy: 21.5%
And the Bible as a whole?
Percent of the Whole Bible that is Prophecy: 27%
Number of Separate Prophetic Topics in the Bible: 737
Just a few more facts:
Of the 333 prophecies concerning Christ, only 109 were fulfilled by His first coming, leaving 224 yet to be fulfilled in the Second Coming.
There are over 300 references to the Lord’s coming in the 260 chapters of the New Testament— one out of every 30 verses.
Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books mention the Lord’s coming.
Jesus refers to His second coming at least twenty-one times.
There are 1,527 Old Testament passages that refer to the Second Coming.
For every time the Bible mentions the first coming, the Second Coming is mentioned eight times.
People are exhorted to be ready for the return of Jesus Christ over fifty times.
Need we say more? If you’re interested in the study of prophecy, then keep listening.
The following is a study on Biblical Prophecy.
To download the slides for this message, click – HERE
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by Steve McCranie | May 19, 2017
Today, I am amazed at how Proverbs 18 shines a light on the current situation in this country. Just turn on the news and you’ll find the truth of Proverbs 18:2 splattered all over your screen. Does this sound familiar?
Proverbs 18:2 – A fool (dull, stupid, arrogant) has no delight (pleasure, desire) in understanding, but in expressing (venting, revealing, disclosing) his own heart.
We watch these pundits shoot their mouth off about any and everything that comes into their minds as if it dropped from the lips of God. As if they, and they alone, had the keys to all truth. They consider themselves wise in this age because of the platform we’ve given them. That’s right, we’ve elevated them to where they are by giving heed and importance to the words that come out of their mouth. We, by our continued involvement in watching them vent the foolish bile that flows from their heart, have given credence and credibility to what they say. If we watch and listen to them, their platform inevitably grows. And if we turn away from their foolishness, they will soon be gone. We hold the power to their influence in our lives, not them. Maybe it’s time we began to use it.
This proverb sums up their life and motivation quite well. Their delight is not in understanding the issues of today or the truth of those issues. Their delight and pleasure come from venting what they think or feel or what seems right in their own eyes. They tirelessly promote their agenda and twist the facts to support their talking points. They assume that they alone are the standards of truth and we are too simple to understand the facts ourselves. We obviously need them to tell us what to think and what to do. Yet we forget the Proverbs call these type of people fools— dull, stupid, and arrogant.
As Forest Gump would say, “Stupid is as stupid does.” But is he talking about us? Or them?
Toxic Verbal Waste
The words that come out of a fool’s mouth are designed to stir up fights and foster controversy. There’s no value in speaking truth unless it pushes forward the agenda. Consider the following:
Proverbs 18:6 – A fool’s lips enter into (to go in, to bring) contention (strife, controversy, quarrels, disputes), and his mouth calls for blows (strikes, or a slap to correct insolent behavior).
That’s exactly what happens with the media today. They pour out the anger and hatefulness in their heart, criticizing everyone and everybody who does not think like they do, and create contention for the sake of stirring up controversy. But, as the Proverbs say, what they need is a punch in the mouth, a fist in their face, a belt in the chops. A classic John Wayne moment.
But maybe we need the same thing. Maybe we need a slap in the face for listening to the dribble that comes out of their mouth. Maybe we need a wake-up call. Maybe we need someone to slap us back to reality. Maybe we’ve become just as arrogant and stupid as they are by listening to the arrogant and stupid things that come out of their mouth. Maybe we also delight in contention, quarrels, and strife.
Maybe we’re no better than they are. Maybe we’ve got blood on our own hands.
Our Addiction to Gossip
Those who spend their life speaking ill of another become addicted to the sin of building themselves up by tearing someone else down. Proverbs 18 speaks to this also.
Proverbs 18:7 – A fool’s mouth is his destruction (ruin, terror, downfall), and his lips are the snare (bait, trap, lure) of his soul.
The more a man verbally tears down another, the more his entire being become enslaved to the sin of gossip. Having a bitter and quarrelsome attitude becomes part of their DNA. Words of praise and adoration are foreign to them. But mocking words of sarcasm and condemnation become second nature. They take over their being. They are now the fruit of their hearts. They possess their soul.
Do you know why a steady diet of gossip turns into an eating disorder? The Proverbs do.
Proverbs 18:8 – The words of a talebearer (liar, gossip, slanderer, one who murmurs and whispers about others to attack them verbally) are like tasty trifles (to gulp, swallow greedily), they go down into the inmost body.
Those who are honored and exalted by their ability to gossip and slander another, much like the media today, become addicted to that sin. They are in the limelight only because of their ability to verbally attack another, with false innuendos and half-truths. They gulp and swallow greedily for another tasty trifle, some shared falsehood, about someone else. And they hunger for some unsubstantiated rumor they can use to malign their character and murmur behind their back.
Welcome to Western Media in 2017
Come on, aren’t you tired of it? Haven’t you had enough?
Then no longer go to these fools for the facts. There are hundreds of alternative news sources that report truth, and not agenda. The problem is that they are not as well known and CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, FOX, and the others. You may actually have to do some digging on your own and then practice biblical discernment. You may have to work for a change and not fall back on what is easy and spoon fed to you from your sofa. You may have to pay a price to know truth, and not the politically correct agenda that our culture is being indoctrinated with.
Remember the truth. Remember where the truth can be found. And cling, like a drowning man to a piece of driftwood, to the truth. The only truth.
Proverbs 18:10 – The name of the LORD is a strong tower (an elevated place of strength and truth); The righteous run to it and are safe (inaccessible high).
Do you realize the elevated place of strength where the name of the Lord is proclaimed and the righteous run to for safety, may be the pulpit? For the pulpit is to proclaim the truth, God’s truth, and cannot fall prey to the trappings and changing opinions of this world. And those who run to it are safe. Why? Because God’s truth never changes and never fails. And from the pulpit, God has ordained His truth to be proclaimed and His name magnified.
Something to think about, isn’t it?
by Steve McCranie | Oct 24, 2016
This has been one of the most contentious election seasons I can remember. Good people have been dragged into the mud with lies and character slander for the sole purpose of trying to win an election. Which raises a few questions for the Christian.
How does a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, who is also a citizen of the United States of America, reconcile their responsibility as citizens to both? Especially in this election.
What is the purpose of human government? And what is our duty towards that government? But what if that government is oppressive? Are we to obey a government that commands us to sin? Then what are we to do as Christians when we are appalled by the corruption in our own government?
Have you ever asked yourself these questions? I have. To find the answers from Scripture, keep listening
The following is a study on the Kingdom of God and human government.
To download the slides for this message, click – HERE
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by Steve McCranie | Apr 4, 2016
Twice in the Proverbs we find the following warning:
A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished – Proverbs 22:3.
And again,
A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; the simple pass on and are punished – Proverbs 27:12.
But what does this mean? And does this warning still apply to us today? Absolutely— and even more so than when it was written so many thousands of years ago. In fact, it’s a vital warning to the church today.
Want to know more? Then keep listening.
The following is a study on 2 Timothy 4:1-4.
To download the slides for this message, click – HERE
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