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Archive for the ‘Deception’ Category

Dale really hit the nail on the head with the article below.

All the nations problems, ALL of them, would be solved by turning back to God.  Not just giving it lip service, but reading His Word (The Bible) every day (twice a day) and bringing our issues and problems to go through prayer daily, starting every meeting with prayer to guide us.

It would only take one action to change course.  A leader to lead by example, not simply words.  What ever happened to the saying “actions speak louder than words”.  We have forgotten these simple truths as a nation.

One statement jumped out at me in Dales article about halfway through.

Nothing pleases Satan more than every time he can place a ‘wall of separation’ between God and people.

When we separate ourselves from God through turning away or succumbing to sin, not only do we miss out on the joy of our closeness to God (since he must pull away) but we also open ourselves up to Satan’s advances to gain more power and control over our lives by filling the void.

That is what we have seen as a nation when on that pivotal day in the 1960’s we expelled God from our schools.  It was the (more…)

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The summary done below by Thomas Ice steps back to view the work of the Bible as the amazing work that it is.  Once you begin to study it both in-depth as well as tying together the story you see the promise of the “rapture” or snatching away told throughout.

One of the knocks against the Rapture is that it is escapism.  I have never understood this as I feel it prepares the believer for the exact opposite.  Procrastination is not an option with imminence.

Peter and John both admonish their audience to fix their eye on the future return of Christ, resulting in Godly living in the present. (1 Peter 1:13 and 1 John 3:2-3)

1 Peter 1:13

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

13 Therefore, [a]prepare your minds for action, [b]keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace [c]to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Footnotes:

a. 1 Peter 1:13 Lit gird the loins of your mind
b. 1 Peter 1:13 Lit be sober
c. 1 Peter 1:13 Or which is announced

The Rapture, “…my blessed hope…” (Titus 2:13),  is one of the major reasons why we gladly live for Christ today and prioritize our life in view of eternal values.

Please take the time to read through the article below in full.  It is a blessing and thought provokingly wonderful.

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

myblessedhope

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Friday, January 4, 2013

The Amazing Truth of the Rapture

Thomas IceBy Dr. Thomas Ice
Pre-Trib Research Center

When one sits back and contemplates the great truths contained in God’s plan for history as revealed in the Bible, it is truly amazing to contemplate such reality. A partial list would include the following: God’s creation out of nothing; God’s creation of angels and their role in history; man’s fall into sin; Noah’s Ark and the Flood; the tower of Babel; the call of Abraham; the Exodus and foundation of the nation of Israel; the up-and-down history of Israel, Christ’s first coming; His death, resurrection, and ascension; the founding of the church; and Christ’s promise to return to take His bride to heaven with Him at the rapture. These real, historical events are greater than any fictional account that the most creative moviemaker could conceive. So one day the Father will tell the Son to go and get His bride and at that moment every living believer, no matter where they may be, will be caught up into the clouds to meet the Lord, in order to be taken to heaven. This will truly be an amazing event.

Rapture

The Impact of the Rapture

Romans 11:25 indicates that the trigger point for the rapture will be when “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” The leading Greek lexicon of our day says the noun translated fullness in this passage means “that which is brought to fullness or completion; full number.” [1] Also, Acts 15:14 says, “Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name.” Thus, when that last Gentile convert comes to faith in Christ, the Church, the Body of Christ, will be complete and the rapture will take place. The full number of Gentiles will have come in and then our Lord will turn His attention to the salvation of all Israel (Rom. 11:26) during the subsequent tribulation period.

The rapture of the church will be a truly amazing event that will confound the world. Just think about it for a moment. How will the world who rejects the possibility that a God who does miracles is out there, explain the sudden disappearance of hundreds of millions of people all over the world in an instance of time? People that are left behind will generally not be open (more…)

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Great observation by Terry in his Nearing Midnight Column this week.  I have been (and will be) posting a lot of articles about Israel recently and there is a reason.

Matthew 24:31-33

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.

Israel is the Fig Tree.  It is the sign Christ told us to look for.  As soon as we see events occur surrounding Israel we will know the season, the quarter or the month that we are in.  We will not (can not) know the day or the hour but we will know the season according to Jesus Himself.  We are to be watching.  The world is oblivious as well as most of those around us.  It is not because they could not know, but I think at this point, it is mostly because they do not want to know and that makes my heart heavy.  We are to busy chasing after the things of this world, to worry about the next.

Prophetic beliefs are not tied to salvation.  It is separate and a gift from God.  So I am sure many that are asleep may be saved but what a disservice it does to Christ Church, His bride, to not be awake and eagerly anticipating His return for us.  We are all, myself included, way to attached to this world.  We need to live in this world but not be of this world.

Israel should be a sign for us to wake up and look up as our redemption draws nigh…

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

myblessedhope

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Jan 21, 2013

Israel’s Prophetic Positioning

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is, amazingly, being viewed as a moderate in the politically right-oriented Likud party these days. This fact shouldn’t go without considerable notice by those who look at Bible prophecy from the futurist viewpoint. Eschatologically speaking, this otherwise strange development as of late makes sense. Here’s what I mean.

Israel must somehow–for now–be kept in the world diplomatic loop. The Jewish state cannot afford to be totally marginalized to the point the nation has no one with whom to negotiate, or at least to talk with on the negotiating front. At the same time, elements within the present make-up of the Knesset and the government as a whole have reached the point they, in order to show resolve, have to adhere to a hard-line approach to Israel’s enemies, who pressure them to give in at every point of the international community’s demands. This resolve translates into intransigence in the thinking of most Israel-hating diplomats of the U.N.–i.e, Israel’s resolve is propagandized by diplomats and the world’s mainstream journalists as deliberately disruptive stubbornness in doing harm to the peace process.

Netanyahu currently wears his moderate, right-winger, actor’s mask effectively. This is to keep the channels open in dealing (more…)

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I think a lot of bible prophecy is ignored or demeaned simply due to differences in language.  It is not understandable or allegorical.  We have been so dumbing down our kids over the last 4-5 generations that they don’t understand what the word mean and how to relate them to our language today.  (Side note:  I couldn’t believe it recently when I read an article that they are working to take the “classics” out of our schools.  That they just were not relevant any longer.  It is all part of us dumbing down our language so we can distance ourselves from our founders and foundation.)

To get right to the point:

Propaganda = deception

Spin = deception

Partial Truth = deception

Little White Lie = deception

All of the above is of course only deception if you believe the Lie, Propaganda, Spin, or Partial Truth.

Our Church, Christ’s Bride, has been infected by the above.  It is insidious and very dangerous because it comes from a space which is suppose to be safe.

Unfortunately, this is why discernment is so important.  How many times did Christ warn us to be on “watch” so as not to be deceived.  Yes, sometimes it may feel like we are paranoid having to check everything and question everything.  But Paul admonished the Berean’s for taking everything back to scripture to check for themselves if it was true.  It takes effort and  I know how tiring it can be to be on guard but we must because there are wolves in sheep’s clothing amongst us.

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

myblessedhope

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Jan 7, 2013

Propaganda Wins

At the Catalyst East conference in Atlanta, I listened to Lynne Hybels give a talk about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. One of her concluding slides was an image of the security fence Israel erected to keep out terrorists. It’s worked quite well, and that seems to bother critics of the Jewish state, who can’t bring themselves to simply say that it’s good Jews are not being murdered anymore.

Instead, the critics refer to the fence as a “wall,” or, more provocatively, an “apartheid wall.” This is a complete inversion of the truth, since Israel is the most open society in the Middle East, and grants far-reaching rights to Arabs.

An interesting lie being peddled is that the fence completely surrounds Bethlehem. It does not.

Yet, by alleging that the fence encircles the town—this even by members of the Religious Left who have been there and know better—they succeed in portraying Israel as the “warden” of the “prison” the Palestinians are kept in.

Hybels chose to include an image in her presentation that showed a simple message written on the fence:

(more…)

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Amazing must see video this week!

We are not of this world but in this world… and I feel like JD, we have overstayed our welcome.

God’s word is amazing, just amazing…

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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Bill does an amazing job below pointing out how we are being conditioned as a society to accept a new set of rules:  The Rule of Lawlessness.

The Antichrist when he comes on the scene will be the ultimate “man of lawlessness” as Paul called him.  The people of this world will be so conditioned that it is the norm.  To those that are awake to the times that we are living in, it is disturbing but we should not worry, we will not be here when he shows up as we are removed with the “Restrainer”, our blessed hope.  And ironically, that may just be one of the many catastrophes that the executive orders spoken of will allow our “all-knowing” government to address.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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I think the article below is very eye opening into how the “Grand Delusion” that is spoken of in the Bible will work.  My initial thought was “Who in their right mind would label 2012 as the ‘best year ever’?”  It must just be a hook to get you to read but they are serious.  Sure they will elude to some negatives but are quick to minimize them for the bright side assessment.

Sure costs are rising, Brussels sprouts cost 70% more now than in January but who wants to eat those?  Really!!!  A 70% increase in food costs and we spin that positive.  I can see it in 2013, food prices are up 400%, but it has allowed us to keep all those new years resolutions to loose weight and we have a much more sustainable society now!

A few other key highlights: (my comments in italics)

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As I read Todd’s article several additional thoughts came to mind.  He brings up some excellent “root” causes for why we find our nation in the state it is today and especially why we are not able to reach the younger generations.  I believe they have become so “distracted” (deceived) with life and the things of this world that they are not even aware of what is happening in it, let alone prophecies of what is to come.  It is probably one of the most discouraging points for some one dedicated to waking others up to God’s word, but we must remember that with God all things are possible!

I am also reminded of the Days of Noah & the Days of Lot prophecy by Jesus in His Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24).  The turning point on Gay marriage and drug use sure do point to this prophecy.

Even with us living through these events I am amazed at how people, even fellow Christians, still do not make the connection between the Bible and the events.  Most just write it off to coincidence or something that has always occurred.  The rise of evil, (more…)

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Amazing video testimony, I got goose bumps several times and teared up at one point.

Very powerful!

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Must Watch: Iranian Muslim in prison meets Jesus face to face

This is perhaps the most amazing testimony I’ve ever heard. It’s from Afshin Javid who was born a devout Shiite Muslim in Southern Iran in 1972, before the Iranian revolution. He grew up and later joined the Basij (Hezbollah), having committing his life to die for Islam. At some point later he recounts that his grandfather had told him he should bring Islam to North America, so he made his way here. Of course, all he had was phony immigration documents and passports, so he was arrested in Malaysia. I’m guessing this was the early 90s but I’m not sure. But this is where his life changed.

I’m telling you this is a testimony like you’ve never heard before. It’s very powerful and you may need a box of tissue nearby.

Watch:

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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I have been doing a lot of reading on this recently.  I strongly believe it is part of the foundation that is being laid for control once the tribulation begins or the rapture occurs.

Those that do not believe in the rapture, I would think, would be even more concerned about this as I think this is the mechanism they will use to assume control following the disappearances and/or calamities that will follow.  Either way it is something that should concern all of us.

There is a great book called Agenda 21 by Harriet Parke that was published recently by Glenn Beck that lays out what living under this could be like.  It is fiction but that is based on Agenda 21 principles and at the end reveals what might not be so much fiction and more fact soon.

The video below is excellent and really does layout step by step where it came from, what it will do, and what it means to you.

I would highly recommend reading both Harriet’s book and listening to the article below.  Afterwards you will be amazed at everywhere you see Agenda 21 encroaching into our lives day in and day out.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Sustainable Development: Agenda 21 explained

This is a video by John Anthony, an expert on Agenda 21 and government regulations, and he spends almost 90 minutes breaking down Agenda 21 in full. I’m about 51 minutes in and it’s quite interesting what he has to say about it.

In case you aren’t familiar with it, here is a broad definition of Agenda 21 (Agenda for the 21st Century):

Sustainable developers have designed a global movement coordinated through a global-to-local action plan to create world government in accordance with certain objectives. These objectives include:

  • An end to national sovereignty
  • Abolition of private property
  • Restructure of the family unit
  • Increasing limitations and restrictions on mobility and individual opportunity

This is a plan that’s been underway since the 80s and three presidents have signed off on it, starting with George H. W. Bush. It’s already at the local level in the U.S. – even my city has a sustainability council.

I highly encourage you to watch the video below and it’s an excellent breakdown of Agenda 21:

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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I was shocked when I first saw this video for it complete lack of reality.  It is 99% untrue.

I am really glad Lee Doren took on overlaying the truth.  I fear this will be used with our kids at some point.

I imagine this type of propaganda held up as truth with be common place (the norm) during the rein of the Antichrist.

It will have to be to uphold the strong delusion that everyone will be under.  I believe it is starting and has been kicked into overdrive.

I feel, sense, that the election this year was the “go” sign that a lot of Satan’s organizations needed to accelerate their plans.

It just feels like everything has sped up since November 6th.

Few seek the truth but instead are laden with an agenda shrouded in deception.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Lee Doren dismantles the propaganda video “Tax the Rich”

In a very popular video, Lee Doren from How the World Works dismantles the recent propaganda video by the CFT union called “Tax the Rich“, correcting their erroneous conclusions with fact:

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

This is a good reminder that we should not be fearful or fret these days we live in, these last days.  It is human nature to fret and be fearful but that is exactly the reason God revealed what these days would look like to us through prophecy in His word.  He tells us not to worry that these thing must come to pass before the end can come.

Our attitude should instead be joyful and exhilarated.  We can’t stop what is going to happen and neither can any force on earth.  Only God can.  His will will be done.  That is what our prayers and thoughts should be focused on, God’s will!  Not on specific events or things we want to occur.  We need to be actively praying for God’s will to be done and asking what little part if any He would like us to play in advancing His will.

When you take that perspective, this world looks a whole lot different.  God said it, so you can count on Him doing it!  He is our Rock and His Son our Savior!  God needs us to be calm as things get worst.  You will be a beacon to the lost as they scatter to and fro.  And hopefully we can plant the seed that will save them from the coming tribulation or more importantly the lake of fire.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Dec 3, 2012

Steady

by Jim Fletcher – Israel Watch

I’m working, and not watching the UN speeches regarding the Palestinians’ bid for nation status. I am however monitoring social media, and the reactions from pro Israel folks who are rightly revolted over the unjust speeches, and in the growing discomfort with a legitimized Palestinian entity.

We should not worry, though.

A few weeks ago, while driving near the Golan Heights, I saw one of what I believe were 2-3 tanks Israel had at its disposal during the harrowing months following the declaration of statehood in 1948. No matter how you or any revisionist slices it, the young Jewish state faced overwhelming odds in struggling to survive. (Footnote: the aforementioned tank sits under some trees on a kibbutz, a cool reminder of those momentous days.)

I submit that we are looking at similar odds now, but our perceptions are skewed.

Certainly, the international community—cowardly and immoral as it is—not only will cave to bizarre and unjust Arab demands, but the community actually likes the inversion of the truth, since it participates in it. Global media, political operatives, and religionists fall over themselves in efforts to advance evil in our world.

That’s exactly what they’re supposed to do.

God told us a long time ago pretty much exactly what’s going to happen. Why are we shocked and saddened to see these days arrive? If the Word of the Lord is true, it had to be this way.

(more…)

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The signs are many but so are the distractions of this world.  I know many who are asleep or deceived.  It is heavy on my heart and weighs down the joy I have of Christ’s return, knowing that some I know may not make the trip.  Still my heart cry’s out, Maranatha!

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope.

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Evacuation Notice 2

By Pete Rose


In the very near future there will be an evacuation (commonly known as the rapture) of all born again Christians from this planet. This evacuation will take place with no prior warning, its date and time will not be announced. You must therefore be ready at all times. Jesus in your heart is your ticket for this event. (Matthew 24:36, 1Thessalonians 4:13-18)

We are far into the period of time known as the beginnings of sorrows, or birth pangs. Signs of the coming tribulation period are multiplying exponentially. Since this evacuation must occur before the tribulation period can begin, it is even that much closer. As noted above, this evacuation will only affect born again Christians. If you have not received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, when it comes you will be left behind to go through a time of trouble Jesus described as being like no other before it, or ever to follow it. You don’t want to be here when this comes to pass.

Some signs of the times:

Multiplying earthquakes. Magnitude 6 (strong) earthquakes are taking place almost daily all around the world now. Twice in the past 10 years magnitude 9 (devastating) earthquakes have caused horrific tsunamis, killing thousands.

(more…)

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…it is amazing to see prophecy stage setting move so swift.

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

We are seeing Isaiah 19 play out in Egypt as we ate turkey and spent money we didn’t have.

Great update last week!

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

Who knew?

Pat Condell is a very brave man.

It is so rare that we hear the truth these days that it shocks our ears but sounds so sweet.

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

This is a great run down of the extremely fast moving string of prophetic events unfolding over the last week.

It is breath-taking how fast things are moving now!  Absolutely amazing, praise be to God!

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

Over the last few months there has been a lot of activity within the Church to pray, fast, repent, cry’s for our nation to repent and turn back to God.  It has always made me somewhat uneasy and when I participate, I feel worse.

Jack Kelly really sums up better than I could my gut feelings.  When I found and read the article below and shouted out “Praise the Lord” and I think I shed a few tears.

Deep in my soul I knew that this is a personal deal, not collective in the least.  I can not save you, you can not save me.  It is something between you and God and me and God.

I think too much energy has been spent praying for our will for our nation instead of for God’s will to be done as Christ prayed.  What ever that is, it is guaranteed to be better than anything we can come up with.  He will give us what we need to “occupy” until he returns to rapture us home.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Repenting On Behalf Of Our Country?

by Jack Kelly


Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.”

As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. (Ezekiel 9:3-6)

The principle of marking those who would be protected from judgment was first mentioned in Genesis 4:15 when the Lord marked Cain as a warning to those who might try to kill him for murdering Abel.

It had also been hinted at when the Lord told Elijah He had reserved 7,000 faithful in Israel who had not succumbed to idol worship (1 Kings 19:18), but Ezekiel 9:4 stands as the clearest example in history of the Lord marking those who are His and protecting them from danger.  In the spiritual world the mark is a sign that the marked person belongs to the Lord and is off limits to anyone else.

Have You Been Marked?

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory (Ephes 1:13-14).

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Cor. 1:21-22).

In these two passages Paul revealed that all born again believers were marked at the time they believed to show that they belong to the Lord.  It’s the spiritual equivalent of a rancher branding his cattle with his mark of ownership.  The presence of this mark will protect us like it has protected others He has marked throughout history.

(more…)

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This is an amazing article that really went straight to my heart.  He does an excellent job at removing the veil of deception from the emergent movement and showing how un-Christian their actions really are.

It is evil and makes me sick to my stomach when ever I read or hear it.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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One wonders whether Wheaton College believes that such programs befit a respectable teaching institution…. Burge’s comparison of himself with Jesus is preposterous and absurd.

While most Evangelical Protestants are generally friendly to the Jewish people and the State of Israel, there is a small band of Evangelical pastors and professors who want to line up all Evangelicals unilaterally on the Palestinian side. The most egregious example may be Anglican vicar Stephen Sizer, whose has chummed up with the likes of Naturei Karta and Iranian President Ahmadinejad. But Gary Burge probably wields the greater influence.

As “Professor of New Testament” at Wheaton College, where he has taught since 1992, Burge has taken whole generations of Evangelical students to such places as the Bethlehem Bible College for one-sided indoctrination in the Palestinian “narrative.” That is, the students are bombarded with typical Palestinian complaints about Israel. Encouragement to investigate the veracity of those complaints is lacking, let alone the history of Palestinian aggression against Israelis and the corruption and misrule of the Palestinian Authority.

Will those unfortunate students be able to cause Israel much harm? Maybe not. The harm done to impressionable young minds is another question. One wonders whether Wheaton College believes that such programs befit a respectable Christian teaching institution.

In March 2012, Burge was back at the Bethlehem Bible College to lecture at the so-called “Christ at the Checkpoint” conference. The very title of the conference betrays its misleading agenda. The idea was to underline that today if Mary and Joseph tried to visit (more…)

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With the acceleration of end times events we are seeing the emergent church taking a bolder stance.  No place can this be seen clearer than support for Israel, God’s chosen people.

Matthew 7:15-17

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

A Tree and Its Fruit

15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

We will know them by their fruit!

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Nov 19, 2012

The Six-Week War

Now that the death cult Hamas has decided to go out Bonnie and Clyde-style, word comes that Israel’s leadership is preparing for a two-month engagement. Let us all fervently pray that they completely destroy the terror entity that has plagued the region (including the Palestinians) for a quarter-century.

Others are writing very good reports on the fighting thus far—hundreds of rockets have landed in Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem! The Hamas stockpiles are such that until the IDF gathers its full strength, some damage will be done. I left one friend’s home in Jerusalem last week to travel to another in Efrat, and I passed the Gush Etzion turn.

At least two rockets landed in Gush Etzion yesterday, with other reports that they landed in Jerusalem as well. You can’t imagine how small the country is if you haven’t been there. Imagine driving from Richardson, Texas, to Plano. Culver City, California, to Glendale. Washington D.C., to Silver Spring, Maryland.

What I want to spotlight this week at “Israel Watch” is the unfolding propaganda war, equally vicious and important. Within 48 hours of the terror war launched against Israeli civilians by Hamas, Israel’s tiny window of goodwill began to predictably shrink. Among those leading the charge—and I find this repulsive and ghastly in the extreme—are religious leaders in the West.

(more…)

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Terry hits the nail on the head this week…

Joshua 24:15

New King James Version (NKJV)

15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Nov 19, 2012

The Gates of Hell

A great number of those who name the name of Christ believe this season of presidential politics in America represents cumulative proof that satanic darkness is descending at a pace that makes coming judgment unstoppable. Every social issue involving morality that the born again hold dear has, they believe, observably been steamrolled by a juggernaut from the darkest regions forewarned of by the Bible. There seems little, if any, hope of culture as it has been known in this nation surviving the next four years.

Such is the general sense among those who were on the losing side in this election–not just among Christians. We can know this, because all fifty states have growing numbers of quite worried, unhappy citizens signing petitions to have their respective states secede from these United States.

While secession isn’t going to happen–and should not happen–the strong sentiment for doing so, rampant and growing, makes it clear that we are a nation divided. We remember that Abraham Lincoln–another president facing the United States’ split down the middle, (more…)

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Great Article on where we find ourselves… (This weeks Nearing Midnight commentary from RaptureReady.com)

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Nov 19, 2012

Is Obama the Antichrist?

The stunning reelection of President Obama has caused several of us in the field of Bible prophecy to question the possibility of him being the Antichrist. I still look for a leader to come out of the area that was once part of the Roman Empire. Since we don’t have a clear vision of the ten-horned confederation that will elect the Beast, it would be unwise to slam the door on any non-European leader.

I did a search on “Is Obama the Antichrist?” and found very little current information on this subject. One search pointed right back to Rapture Ready. So, I guess I need to provide my own answer the question.

There was once a time when you couldn’t be called a world leader unless there was some group identifying you as the Antichrist. Lately, pin the tail on the AC has become a dying art. Back in the nineties, every prophecy conference that I would visit had someone labeling a political leader as the AC. I remember attending an afternoon session at a God’s News Behind the News conference where four speakers in a row tagged Bill Clinton as the Beast.

Today, we’ve gone in the opposite direction. I was recently at a prophecy conference where Barack Obama’s name never came up once. (more…)

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This is a MUST SEE video.

…JD does a great job walking us through the steps of grieving and getting us back on the narrow path with our eyes fixed on God’s will and not our own desires.

I know this is the reminder I needed.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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Amazing message.

Over the last few months the verse “Not of this world but living in this world…” has been running through my head constantly.  It has been somewhat may mantra these days and a reminder of my (our) calling.

John 15:19
If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.

Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

We had a clear choice this year via our US national election.  I don’t think I have seen an election in my lifetime that the contrast was stronger.  Our stunning choice should be a wake up call to just where we are on the prophetic timeline.  Jesus warned us what the time period before his coming would look like.

Luke 17:26-30 (NKJV)

26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

As I sat there listening to the results roll in, I felt scripture wash over me flooding my mind.  It was surreal.  It allowed me to zoom out and see the big picture, what had we as a nation just done.  There is more links between what is happening now and end times prophecy than I can list here.  Lets compare the scripture above to what we just voted in favor of as a nation.

We voted for abortion on demand, the killing of millions of children in their mother’s womb.  This is much like the evil cults of Noah’s and Lot’s time that would sacrifice their own children, yearly, to their “gods”. We are sacrificing our unborn for a lustful lifestyle (much like these ancient cults) and unburdened existence.  “We wouldn’t want our daughter to be burdened with a baby.”

We voted for free contraceptives and recreational marijuana use.  Basically promoting drug use and free sex for all, especially our youth.  We know that both Noah’s and Lot’s days were marked by extreme promiscuity and drug use.  The men that showed up outside Lot’s door wanted to have sex with the “new” men in town.

We voted for a strong homosexual agenda with our commander-in-chief, for the first time in history, opening supporting this sinful lifestyle.  This was something that marked both the days of Lot and Noah, with the latter being the only time in history (except for present day) that homosexual marriage was legal.

Pause a moment and let that sink in…

…the men outside Lot’s house also wanted to partake in these sinful acts as well.

We voted again for the least transparent administration we have ever had.  Deceptive to the core.  One that has blatantly lied to the American people and committed acts of treason on several occasions.  What was their reaction when caught?  They laughed it off and we as a nation laughed along with them and moved on.  Treason!, not the definition of “is” but treason.  Not only has there been a lack of transparency but the reverse, active deception, has been immense.

We voted for a man of lawlessness, that disregards our current laws of bankruptcy to give unions funds and leaves stock holders empty-handed.  He has demolished our home loan laws by forcing forgiveness of loans and leaving investors, again, empty-handed.  He has ignored our constitution at every possible turn.  The highest law of the land and the foundation we built this nation on.

We voted for a man who says one thing and does the exact opposite, time and time again, with nothing said about it.

We voted for the political party that voted to remove God from their platform three times!

They said NO to God three times!

Folks, step back and see the forest.

We are living in the days of Noah.

We are living in the days of Lot.

This was a huge sign for those that have their eyes open.  And now things are accelerating, roadblocks have been removed.

It was said that “the church” must take a stand this election cycle to reclaim our nation, founded on God and His word.

Look that the result.  We could not have had a clearer choice, two roads we could take, and which choice did our nation make?  The road of Sodom.  The road of Gomorrah.  The road of depravity, anger, and hate.  The road away from God.

No true born-again Christian could vote for this abomination and the path they are taking us down.

This was huge folks.  We just passed the last exit.  The harbingers have spoken.  The protection of the Lord has been removed.  We have not turned back to God in repentance, but have instead, stood in defiance of God and with the arrogance of man said “we don’t need God in our nation”.

We are hurling toward the tribulation, God’s judgement on this sinful world.  For those of us that are awake, we must keep our eye fixed squarely at all times on Christ Jesus, our redeemer.  Do not look back, do not look down, for the evil of this world is engulfing us.  Time is…  I almost said “Time is short.” but that does not express how close we are to Jesus Christ’s return for His bride.

The divided nation we see is biblical.  It is the hardening of hearts and the strong delusion of the Lord.

Ephesians 4:17-19 (NIV1984)

Living as Children of Light

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NKJV)

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Every man and woman have made their choice, look at where we stand.  Which path do you stand on?  What a stark contrast we are.  Good and Evil.  But today evil is said to be good and good said to be evil.

Isaiah 5:20-24

New King James Version (NKJV)

20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight!

22 Woe to men mighty at drinking wine,
Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,
23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe,
And take away justice from the righteous man!

24 Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble,
And the flame consumes the chaff,
So their root will be as rottenness,
And their blossom will ascend like dust;
Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts,
And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

We must put 100% of our hope and faith in Jesus Christ, and no longer in our own actions or those of man, not even 1%.  We must focus on the will of God and not on our own.  Pray, and look up and lift up your head for your redemption draws near.

Luke 21:28 (NKJV)

28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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Below is a great article on what we now face financially and a pretty good assessment of the choice we just made as a nation.  She is a lot more positive than I am, I feel a lot of the time she says “maybe” it really should be a firm “yes”.  Either way, it is well worth the read.

The banner statement that really rang true to me is when she stated:

A very slight majority—but a majority—of the American people KNOWINGLY chose four more years (at least) of high unemployment, anemic economic growth, break-the-bank spending, unsustainable and record-breaking deficits and debt, unpopular and bankrupting socialized medicine, and record numbers of people on food stamps and living in poverty. They KNOWINGLY chose four more years….of this.

It really is stunning.  Breathtaking…

We are in serious trouble as a nation…

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The Reckoning—And What It Means

by Monica Crowley

It is profoundly disturbing to watch a once-great power commit suicide in real time.

There will be a lot of argument made about why Mitt Romney (and so many other Republicans) lost last night: he ran a poor campaign, he played it too safe, President Obama ran a more effective campaign, the Democrats’ bogus “war on women” worked, Republicans have to find a way to “talk” to women and Latinos and black voters…And on and on. All background noise and not particularly relevant right now.

A very slight majority—but a majority—of the American people KNOWINGLY chose four more years (at least) of high unemployment, anemic economic growth, break-the-bank spending, unsustainable and record-breaking deficits and debt, unpopular and bankrupting socialized medicine, and record numbers of people on food stamps and living in poverty. They KNOWINGLY chose four more years….of this.

A lot of folks are attributing Obama’s win more to his hypnotic hold on so many people than his actual policies, but I think that’s too simplistic a view. While Obama IS a uniquely seductive figure—and while many still feel a deep emotional investment in the first black president—it IS his policies which are—paradoxically—responsible for his win.

(more…)

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Great message from Grant, as I ponder his words, I can definitely see a pattern in my life.  As I drift in and out of my fellowship with the Lord, due to distractions and/or sin, I am always unsatisfied until I realize what I am truly missing.  How dense are we as man, that we keep making the same mistakes over and over.  What patience the Lord must have with us.

Maranatha, Lord Jesus come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Are You Satisfied?

By Grant Phillips


Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man.” (Proverbs 27:20 NIV)

I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10 NIV)

Are you satisfied with your life? Thousands upon multiplied thousands of people today are not satisfied with their lives. Some are restless. Some are in abject turmoil.

Proverbs 27:20 above tells us that death is never satisfied. The open grave will always yearn for more. Even though about 140.4 million people are born each year, 56.7 million die each year (2010 statistics).

The same verse speaks of destruction, and destruction comes in many forms. War brings destruction. A wandering eye brings destruction to a family. Greed and murder bring destruction, and we could go on. Destruction is all around us, as is death. So too, destruction is never satisfied.

Where does all this originate? It comes from the human heart, for the heart of man, apart from Jesus Christ, is never satisfied.

Adam and Eve were not satisfied to have everything the Garden of Eden had to offer, but decided to disobey God and eat of the one lone tree He specifically told them to not eat from. Sin blanketed the world as a result.

Judas Iscariot was not satisfied to enjoy the fellowship of God, in the flesh, but preferred power and wealth instead. Suicidal death was his reward.

From the Garden of Eden to today, mankind has never been satisfied. He always wants more, even at the expense of others. Why can’t we be satisfied? Why do we always want more and more?

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

This insatiable desire comes from a wicked heart, a heart that does not know God. The heart without God is an empty hole that longs to be filled, but only God can fill the vacuum that exists.

Some will come to God through His Son Jesus and find rest, while most will continue their vain attempts to fill the vacuum and satisfy the wicked heart. However, it is never filled. It is never satisfied. It keeps longing for more, and each demand gets greater with time.

The Lord had the Apostle Paul write the following words to his protégé Timothy:

1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV)

Are we in the last days? Yes we are, the last days of the Church Age, and the heart of man isn’t getting any better. It’s getting worse.

Think about this.

When Hollywood first produced movies depicting murder, there were no “blood and guts” scenes, but in order to continue drawing the crowds, the scenes had to become more and more real. Today murder has left the silver screen and found its way into the neighborhoods of America, and they keep getting more gruesome. Why? The evil heart needs more to satisfy its desires.

The scary movies I watched as a child would be boring today. Yet, as a child, my heart would race as I watched them. Today, people are chopped up like lettuce for a salad, and the watchers crave more.

Sex used to be kept in the bedroom, a private issue between your parents. Now it’s taught in schools and practiced wherever the urge hits. Any sexual act imaginable can be found in not just sleazy dark places, but in your own living room. Yet the evil heart is not satisfied. It wants more.

Sexual acts of perversion are commonplace. Sex with animals, children, male/male, female/female, and even objects, they are all out in the open. And each depravity just becomes more shocking than the one before.

The most depraved acts one could imagine are committed on the streets of some of our large cities, and they keep getting worse.

There seems to be some kind of “law of nature” that says, “Each action must top the one before.”

Greed is like that too. The general attitude with most people is the more they have, the more they want. There is never enough money, or things. The evil heart always wants more. It is never satisfied.

An old saying goes like this, “Give them an inch, and they’ll take a mile.” That is exactly where we are today, always hungry for more. “My house isn’t big enough, I need a bigger one. My neighbor got a new car. Mine is three years old. I need a new one. My clothes are not in style. I need to go shopping. So I have ten of these, I want that one too.”

As we have seen, a heart that is not satisfied will long for more. Some things will produce destruction while others may just produce clutter, but they all depict a heart that is restless for God. The very soul of man needs God to satisfy the hunger of his heart. The sad thing is, most just don’t recognize what their soul really needs to be at rest.

In Isaiah 61:10 above, it is clear that our delight should be in the Lord. Only this will make our soul rejoice, because then we are clothed in salvation and righteousness, both from the throne room of God.

Food tastes good, but its consumption is only temporary. Drugs only mask the real problem and create others.

I ask again. Are you satisfied with your life? Has someone flushed the toilet, and you’re in it? Are you going down for the last count?

Maybe things aren’t quite that bad in your life, but you’re just not happy. You’ve tried hobbies, read books and even smelled the roses, but something is missing.

Jesus Christ is what is missing. No human being on this earth will ever be at peace until they come to Jesus to be born again (John 3:3). Jesus will give you a new spirit that will be filled with His own Spirit. Only then can you say with David:

“…My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.” (Psalms 62:1NIV)

Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.” (Psalms 116:7 NIV)

But you say, “I’m a Christian, but I don’t feel satisfied. What is wrong with me?” You need to come to your Savior and Lord and ask of God the same thing David asked Him.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalms 51:12 NIV)

Accept the council of John in this verse.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NIV)

Then follow David’s advice.

I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.” (Psalms 119:7 NIV)

Grant Phillips

grantphillips@windstream.net

My articles are posted at “Pre-Rapture Commentary” http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com and many are also posted at “Rapture Ready” http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html.

Even though I am very limited on time, I will respond to any who email me and request a reply, unless I sense they just want to argue.

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

What are we as a nation?  How low have our moral standards dropped?  When did we stop calling a lie, a lie?

When did evil become acceptable, especially if calling it evil may offend some group of people.

We are Sodom.  We are Gomorrah.  We are the last days of Rome.  These ARE the days of Noah.

Too harsh?

The proof is that there is no nationwide outrage at this atrocity.  Not down party lines but the Majority!

Every man women and child should be repulsed by the evil that was on display and then excused.  How could you not help?

How could we not do everything in our power to aid our fellow Americans?

Maranatha Lord Jesus come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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This is such a common question that I believe we have all struggled with at some point in time of our lives or if not yet will at some point.  The answer is so reassuring and strengthening of our faith.  Studying prophecy has a similar effect.  I wish more understood how powerful it is.  God laid out for us what will happen before it happened so we could strengthen our faith in Him and with assurance put our trust in Him.  He knew we would struggle like Thomas with doubts and would need some reassurance.  Prophecy is that reassurance and yet largely as a church, Christ’s Bride, we ignore it or worse scoff at God’s predictions that He put in place to reassure us of His power and authority.

Maranatha, Lord Jesus come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Is God In Total Control Of Everything?

by Jack Kelly


There’s a theory, only hinted at in Scripture, that Planet Earth had been the domain of Satan prior to his rebellion. Although he was only a created being, Satan was an enormously powerful dignitary in God’s Universe (Jude 1:9). He was the overseer of the Cherubim (the guardians of God’s Throne) and a leader of the angelic host. He was God’s most impressive creation (Ezekiel 28:12-15). Because of his position, his power, and his beauty he became proud and rebelled (Ezekiel 28:17, Isaiah 14:13-14), bringing about a judgment that destroyed planet Earth.

All this seems to have happened between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. Hints of this in Scripture are

1) an alternate (and some say more literal) rendering of Genesis 1:2 reads, “But the Earth became formless and void”, rather than “and the Earth was formless and void.”

2) In Isaiah 45:18 the Lord said He didn’t create the Earth that way, using the same Hebrew word that’s translated formless in Genesis 1:2, but formed it to be inhabited. Putting these two points together hints at a judgment sometime after Earth’s original creation.

3) The angels already existed at the time of the Genesis creation account. They shouted and sang for joy when the Lord laid the foundations of Earth (Job 38:4-7) so they must have been created earlier. If so, then Satan must have been created earlier was as well.

4) The serpent seems to appear out of nowhere in Genesis 3:1 although there’s no mention of him in the creation account. Also the Hebrew word translated serpent comes from a root meaning enchanter, which could mean it was not an ordinary animal. And Eve didn’t seem to be reluctant to converse with him, indicating she might have recognized him for who he really was.

Let me hasten to add that I don’t believe in a pre-Adamite civilization. The Bible clearly calls Adam the first man (1 Cor. 15:45). It also says the animals were created on the same day as Adam (Genesis 1:24-26) so I don’t believe dinosaurs or any other animals preceded Adam’s creation.

After Earth sat submerged in ruin and darkness for who knows how long, God said “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) and the six day Genesis creation process began. It helps to remember that the Bible is not a book about eternity, it’s about the age of man. As such it begins with the creation of the first man and ends when the Millennium ends seven thousand years later. It gives only vague hints about what happened before the Age of Man began and what will come after it ends. All we really know is that there was an eternity past and there will be an eternity future.

God’s first instruction to Adam and Eve was to give them dominion over Planet Earth, telling them to subdue it and populate it (more…)

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Another great overview by JD of Bible prophecy.  He reviews the staggering number of headlines we have seen over just 4 days.

What really jumped out at me this week was his statement:

It is not enough to understand the times but we should know what to do in light of the signs.

What should we be doing?  What is God laying on your heart?  Time is short.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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Paul Washer is one of my top five favorite pastors.  I just feel the truth rings true and he cuts right to the bone of the matter.  Yes, it can be kind of harsh but I would rather have someone preach the harsh truth to me than smooth over the truth trying to soften it with the chance that I may miss it.  What a tragedy that would be, especially with time drawing so short.

Two of the passages that he preaches on in the video below are ones that have been ringing in my head for the last eight to nine years.  I find that the more I study them and contemplate them, asking God for wisdom and discernment the more alive and real they become.  There is so much truth locked up in these two verses it is astounding to my meek human mind.  God is Great!

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

I came across this list of 25 prophecies that have been or are being fulfilled today.  I found it in a great book called “Queen of All” by Jim Tetlow.  I have been researching the Marion apparitions and their link to end times prophecy.

Toward the beginning of the book the author uses the 25 prophecies below to prove we can trust what the Bible says literally.  It really was an amazing list of which none were new to me but the list was so well laid out and in a concise format that I wanted to share it.

The Bible, God’s word, predicted these events and thousands of others over 2000 years ago.  Not one prophecy from the Bible has ever been wrong.  100% accurate and correct, I can’t think of many things these days that have a batting average of perfection, we all stumble at some point.  Only God is perfect as is His word, inerrant.  You can trust Him and His word till the end of this age of man.

Note: I added in the text of the referenced Bible verses for each prophecy that show the prophecy clearly as well as some additional comments.

I hope this strengthens your faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His word!

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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1. False Bible teachers would be money hungry.  They would be smooth talkers, have many followers and slur the Christian faith (2 Peter 2:1-3).

2 Peter 2:1-3 – (NKJV) – Destructive Doctrines – 2 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does[a] not slumber.

A growing number of TV evangelists epitomize this as well as many in the ecumenical movement.

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2. Mankind would be capable of destroying all life (Matthew 24:21-22).

Matthew 24:21-22 – (NKJV) – 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

Consider that when Jesus made this prediction the armaments of His day were swords and spears.  But today, with nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, it is possible to wipe out all flesh on planet earth.

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3. The use of nuclear weapons anticipated (Zechariah 14:12).

Zechariah 14:12 – (NKJV) – 12 And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem:

Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet,
Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets,
And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.

The neutron bomb melts (dissolves) its victims – just as Zechariah predicted 2,500 years ago.  This was unimaginable in Zechariah’s day.

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4. There would be a global cry for peace (1 Thessalonians 5:3).

1 Thessalonians 5:3 – (NKJV) – For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

Never has there been such a concerted, global effort to bring about peace at any cost as there is in our day.

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5. Global communication foreseen (Revelation 11:9-10;17:8).

Revelation 11:9-10 -(NKJV) – Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

Revelation 17:8 – (NKJV) – The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

The Bible prophesies that the entire world will “see” certain events unfold.  The invention of the television and the deployment of global satellite networks during the 20th century allow news to travel the world at the speed of light for the first time ever.  Yet in John’s day, news traveled at the speed of horseback.

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6. The Christian gospel would be preached as a witness to all nations (Matthew 24:14, Mark 13:10; Revelation 14:6).

Matthew 24:14 – (NKJV) –14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Mark 13:10 – (NKJV) – 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.

Revelation 14:6 – (NKJV) – The Proclamations of Three Angels – Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—

Today, portions or all of the Bible have been translated into over 2,300 languages and dialects covering well over 90% of the world’s population.

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7. The possession of Jerusalem would be at the center of international turmoil (Zechariah 12:3).

Zechariah 12:3 – (NKJV) – And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.

Almost daily the world news reports on the conflict over Jerusalem.

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8. The fact that God once flooded the earth (the Noahic Flood) would be denied (2 Peter 3:5-6).

2 Peter 3:5-6 – (NKJV) – For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.

There is a mass of fossil evidence to prove this fact, yet it is flatly ignored by most of the scientific world because  it was judgment form God on man’s wickedness.

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9. Russia (Magog) would rise as a military power in the last days (Ezekiel 38).

Ezekiel 38:1-6 – (NKJV) – Gog and Allies Attack Israel – 38 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you.

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10. The nation of Israel would be born in one day (Isaiah 66:8).

Isaiah 66:8 – (NKJV)

Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?
Or shall a nation be born at once?
For as soon as Zion was in labor,
She gave birth to her children.

On May 14, 1948 Israel became a nation.  Never in recorded history has a nation been dispersed for hundreds of years and then regathered.  Yet, God said it and God has done it before our very eyes!

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11. The Jews would begin to regather in Israel (Jeremiah 31:7-10; Ezekiel 37:21-22; 38:8).

Jeremiah 31:7-10 – (NKJV)

For thus says the Lord:

“Sing with gladness for Jacob,
And shout among the chief of the nations;
Proclaim, give praise, and say,
‘O Lord, save Your people,
The remnant of Israel!’
Behold, I will bring them from the north country,
And gather them from the ends of the earth,
Among them the blind and the lame,
The woman with child
And the one who labors with child, together;
A great throng shall return there.
They shall come with weeping,
And with supplications I will lead them.
I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters,
In a straight way in which they shall not stumble;
For I am a Father to Israel,
And Ephraim is My firstborn.

10 “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
And declare it in the isles afar off, and say,
‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,
And keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’

Ezekiel 37:21-22 – (NKJV)

21 “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.

Ezekiel 38:8 – (NKJV)

After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely.

Over five million Jews have returned to Israel in recent times!  This unlikely prophecy alone is unmistakable evidence of the Scriptures’ Divine inspiration.

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12. The Jews would regain control of biblical Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:6; Luke 21:24).

Zechariah 12:6 – (NKJV)

In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem.

Luke 21:24 – (NKJV)

24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

This happened in 1967!  As a result of the 6 day war.

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13. Asia (the kings of the east) would be capable of deploying a 200-million-man army during earth’s final days (Revelation 9:14-16; 16:12).

Revelation 9:14-16 – (NKJV)

14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.

Revelation 16:12 – (NKJV) – Sixth Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.

Bear in mind, when John penned this prophecy 2,000 years ago, there were only an estimated 170-400 million people on the entire planet.  Yet today, according to the CIA, China alone has 281 million men fit for military service!

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14. Egypt would exist in the last days – but only as a lowly third world nation (Ezekiel 29:14-16).

Ezekiel 29:14-16 – (NKJV)

14 I will bring back the captives of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. 15 It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms; it shall never again exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish them so that they will not rule over the nations anymore. 16 No longer shall it be the confidence of the house of Israel, but will remind them of their iniquity when they turned to follow them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord God.”’”

Egypt was on of the world’s greatest ancient civilizations.  Yet today, as prophesied, Egypt remains, but only as an impoverished nation.  To show how amazing this prophecy is, compare modern Egypt to the tiny nation of Austria.  Egypt has ten times more land area, and a population eight times greater than Austria.  Yet, Egypt’s Grow Domestic Product is only one-fifth of Austria’s GDP.

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15. Your would become increasingly rebellious (2 Timothy 3:2-3; Mark 13:12; Isaiah 3:4-5, 12)

2 Timothy 3:2-3 – (NKJV) – For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,

Mark 13:12 – (NKJV) – 12 Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.

Isaiah 3:4-5 – (NKJV)

“I will give children to be their princes,
And babes shall rule over them.
The people will be oppressed,
Every one by another and every one by his neighbor;
The child will be insolent toward the elder,
And the base toward the honorable.”

Isaiah 3:12 – (NKJV)

12 As for My people, children are their oppressors,
And women rule over them.
O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err,
And destroy the way of your paths.”

No comment necessary.

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16. Homosexuality would be flaunted at the end of the age.  Jesus warned that the last days would be like the days of Lot – who lived in wicket Sodom (Luke 17:28-30).

Luke 17:28-30 – (NKJV) – 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

We know that the root of Sodom’s sin was pride and complacency (Ezekiel 16:49) – as it is today.

Ezekiel 16:49 – (NKJV) – 49 Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

However, Sodom’s lasting infamy stemmed from their aggressive homosexual sin (Genesis 19; Jude 1:7).

Genesis 19:4-9 – (NKJV)

Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”

So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”

And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door.

Jude 1:7 – (NKJV)

as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Today the homosexual agenda is flaunted and forced upon our entire society.

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17. Epidemic drug use predicted (Revelation 9:21).

Revelation 9:21 – (NKJV)

21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries[a] or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Footnotes: a.Revelation 9:21 NU-Text and M-Text read drugs.

The Greek word translated sorceries is pharmakeia which can also refer to drug use, both illegal drugs and mind-altering drugs.  The use of illegal drugs and the dispensing of mind-altering drugs has risen sharply during our current generations.

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18. Sorceries – referring to witchcraft, magic, or occult practices used to enchant and deceive – are also anticipated in the last days (Revelation 9:21; 18:23; Isaiah 47:9-15; Micah 5:10-15).

Micah 5:10-15 – (NKJV)

10 “And it shall be in that day,” says the Lord,
“That I will cut off your horses from your midst
And destroy your chariots.
11 I will cut off the cities of your land
And throw down all your strongholds.
12 I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
And you shall have no soothsayers.
13 Your carved images I will also cut off,
And your sacred pillars from your midst;
You shall no more worship the work of your hands;
14 I will pluck your wooden images from your midst;
Thus I will destroy your cities.
15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury
On the nations that have not heard.”

Today, interest in the occult is flourishing.

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19. Financial systems would depend on numbers not cash (Revelation 13:17-18).

Revelation 13:17-18 – (NKJV)

17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

Remember, this prophecy was made 2,000 years before our computer-driven society.

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20. Many would call themselves the Christ (Matthew 24:5).

Matthew 24:5 –  (NKJV)

For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.

Jesus was an itinerate preacher who never traveled outside the tiny nation of Israel and He had the audacity to say that many would come in His name, claiming to be the Christ.  And yet today, as foretold, multitudes within the New Age Movement, Eastern religions, and the cults call themselves the Christ.

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21. The final generation would be open to receiving a mark on their right hand or on their forehead (Revelation 13:16).

Revelation 13:16 – (NKJV)

16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,

Consider how the up and coming generation is tattooed, pierced and marked with all kinds of insignia.

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22. People would reject the sound doctrine of the Word of God and follow the doctrines of men that appeal to their own lusts (2 Timothy 4:3-4; Acts 20:29-30).

2 Timothy 4:3-4 – (NKJV)

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

Acts 20:29-30 – (NKJV)

29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.

Jesus also predicted that there would be many hypocrites within the church (Matthew 24:48-51; Matthew 7:22-23).

Matthew 24:48-51 – (NKJV)

48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 7:22-23 – (NKJV)

22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

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23. Blasphemy would be common (2 Timothy 3:2; Revelation 16:9, 11, 21).

2 Timothy 3:2 – (NKJV) – For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Revelation 16:9 – (NKJV) – And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.

Revelation 16:11 – (NKJV) – 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.

Revelation 16:21 – (NKJV) – 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.

Consider how often people use their Creator’s name (God, Lord, or Jesus Christ) as a curse word.  Fifty years ago, Hollywood seldom used God’s name in vain.  Today, nearly every movie contains blasphemy.

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24. Sexual immorality would be rampant (Jude 1:18; Revelation 9:21).

Jude 1:18 – (NKJV) – 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.

Keep in mind, Jesus said whoever looks to lust has already committed adultery in his heart (Matthew 5:28).

Matthew 5:28 – (NKJV) – 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Today lust is marketed in every conceivable venue.

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25. Men would mock the warning signs of the end of the age saying that these signs have always been around (2 Peter 3:3-4).

2 Peter 3:3-4 – (NKJV) – knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”

The Bible even reveals their motivation, they love lust.

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If you haven’t  accepted the gift of Salvation:

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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Glamour…  some may say strong delusion.

How else can we explain how many people believe the lies that are being spread daily.  It is stunning.

But we shouldn’t be stunned, God said it would be this way during the last days, it is one of the signs we are to look for.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

…at least half of us.

It is just stunning to me how out of touch we have become as a people.  We have so many distractions these days that we don’t pay attention to real current events, let alone put them all together and take the time to step back and look at the big picture.

That is what prophecy is.  It is a puzzle left for us by God.  If we study His word as he commanded us to, we will not be caught like a thief in the night.  Events and outcomes of certain actions will not surprise us.  We understand the bigger picture and how the puzzle is coming together generally.  We were meant to study prophecy.

If these folks don’t even know this major event has taken place, how can we imagine they can assemble the prophecy puzzle God has left for us in his word.  How do we get them to wake up?

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

An insane amount of prophecy headlines this last week.  A lot of them are being overshadowed even by the new media with the US election nearing.  Make sure you check these out, we have a ton of activity going on with regard to prophecy.

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Putin’s New ‘Fortress Russia’
Moscow is cozying up to China, supporting the Assad regime in Syria and ignoring the Iranian nuclear race. The Kremlin is hard at work to create a sphere of influence along its periphery and a “pole” in the multipolar world that would stand up to Washington.-Putin is implementing a “Fortress Russia” policy, which is based on repression at home and confrontation abroad. It is used to justify a $700 billion military buildup.

A place for Jews on the Temple Mount
The state of affairs on the Temple Mount is intolerable and untenable.-A way must be found to enable Jews to exercise their right to commune with their Maker, without further stoking hatred and intolerance. In fact, there is a simple and very practical solution to this predicament: build a synagogue on the Temple Mount where Jews would be free to pray as they wish.

“#UnBonJuif”: Twitter deluged with French antisemitism
Jewish and anti-racist organisations in France have threatened to sue dozens of Twitter users for posting antisemitic jokes and statements on the site using the hashtag #UnBonJuif (“a good Jew”). Many tweets mocked the Holocaust, said “a good Jew is a dead Jew” or contained other racist statements which are illegal under French law.-Antisemitic violence has grown in France by 45 per cent in the first eight months of 2012.

Small earthquake rattles western Nebraska
The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude 3.6 earthquake happened at 11:21 p.m. Wednesday. It was centered about 18 miles northwest of Hyannis (heye-AN’-us). Grant County Sheriff Shawn Hebbert told The Omaha-World Herald (http://bit.ly/Rbu3zF ) that some people felt the quake, saying it woke them up. The sheriff says he didn’t feel a thing.

East China Sea tension: China conducts naval exercises
China is conducting naval exercises in the East China Sea, state media report, amid heightened tensions with Japan over islands both claim. The exercises are aimed at “sharpening response to emergencies in missions to safeguard territorial sovereignty”, state-run Xinhua news agency said. They involve 11 ships and eight aircraft, including vessels from marine surveillance and fisheries agencies.

EU leaders agree to one banking overseer
EU leaders agreed to create a single banking overseer for the eurozone that could aid ailing banks, but Germany and Britain balked at some details. The 27 EU heads of state and government agreed “on a political framework for the end of 2012 and a gradual implementation in 2013” of a new EU single supervisory mechanism, European Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly said after the first day of a two-day EU leaders’ summit on resolving the eurozone debt crisis. The commission is the EU’s executive body.

Moderate earthquake rattles Egypt, felt in Israel
5.0-magnitude quake comes two days ahead of Israel’s large-scale preparedness drill..

Assad launches new wave of air raids, pounding key Syrian town
Syrian regime warplanes launched a new wave of strikes Thursday on the northwestern town of Maaret al-Numan, seized by rebels last week, an AFP correspondent reported. Fighter jets began overflying and bombarding Maaret al-Numan, located on the main Damascus-Aleppo highway, in the early hours of the morning, targeting the strategic town and its periphery.

More Believe In Space Aliens Than In God According To U.K. Survey
More than 33 million U.K. citizens believe in extraterrestrial life, compared to just over 27 million — less than half the country — who believe in God. That’s the result of an online survey of 1,359 adults who were asked a variety of questions ranging from belief in alien visits to Earth, suspicions of UFO cover-ups, belief in extraterrestrials vs. belief in God, and whether or not men actually landed on the moon.

Gallup study: Only 3.4 percent of US adults are LGBT
A new Gallup survey, touted as the largest of its kind, estimates that 3.4 percent of American adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The findings, released Thursday, were based on interviews with more than 121,000 people. Gallup said it is the largest study ever aimed at calculating the nation’s LGBT population.

(more…)

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Jack Kelly lays out a great comparison below of who the Tribulation is for.  I really like his concise explanation of the different audiences that are present in the Bible.  The majority of confusion surrounding prophecy comes when you do not take the time to put the scripture in context but also identify who the audience is that Jesus and/or God is speaking too.

It is the purpose of the tribulation that always kept coming up when I first started studying prophecy many years ago.  Some of the interpretations just didn’t make sense as to why it was needed.  Christ’s act of grace on the cross is all that we need, as the church, for salvation.  It allowed God to forgive us of our all of our sins: past, present, and future.

Just think about that for a moment…

How powerful is that?  He forgave through one-act of selflessness, all our past sins and our present sins, but also all of our future sins.  We are redeemed!  That to me is just mind-blowing.  He knows our heart and our actions before we even do them.  He knows we will struggle with sin while we are still in this world, but through Christ we have overcome!

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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The Tribulation’s Purpose Vs. The Church’s Nature

by Jack Kelly


Therefore keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour. (Matt. 25:13)

Those who shy away from the study of prophecy are fond of quoting the above verse as their justification.  But earlier in the same passage, the Lord had admonished all who read His words of prophecy to understand them (Matt 24:15).  In addition the Apostle Paul wrote that the events leading up to the end of the age should not take believers by surprise (1 Thes. 5:4) implying that we should be familiar with them.

Since the Bible cannot contradict itself, Matt. 24:15 must have been aimed at a different audience than Matt. 25:13.  And sure enough, a closer look reveals that both the implied timing and the intended audience of the two Matthew passages are different.  Matt. 24:15  was intended for everyone who would ever read the passage, but in Matt 25:13 the Lord was only speaking to people remaining on Earth at His Second Coming.  We know this because it follows Matt. 24:30 which describes the 2nd Coming.  Matt. 24:36-37 confirms the context to be the 2nd Coming, as does Matt. 25:1.  Of course in 1 Thes 5:4 Paul was addressing the church, who will not be on Earth at the 2nd Coming, but in the presence of the Father (1 Thes. 3:13).

What both the Lord (Matt.24:15) and Paul (1 Thes. 5:4) were saying is that while we won’t know the exact timing of things, we should understand the sequence of events leading up to the Day of the Lord. And perhaps no event in the sequence is more controversial than the Rapture of the Church, especially as it relates to the Great Tribulation.

It seems to me that the first thing we should do in trying to obey the Lord’s commandment to understand all this is to clarify two things, 1) the purpose of the Great Tribulation, 2) the nature of the Church.

The Purpose of the Great Tribulation

The phrase Great Tribulation makes reference to a specific event, not a general condition. While the Lord warned the disciples (more…)

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Pete goes through a lot of the prophecies we are seeing the stage set for.  The headlines he lists are also reflecting the times we live in.  It is a great read, sobering for the saved, and scary to those unsaved.  It might also be a bit jarring for those that don’t believe in the pre-trib rapture.  His last few paragraphs really jumped out at me and rang true, the end is near.

Maranatha – Come Quickly Lord Jesus!

-myblessedhope

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Something Big is Going On – Part 3

By Pete Rose


In the past two articles in this series I have focused mainly on current events such as …

  • Unexplained movements of troops and military equipment
  • Massive ammunition purchases – 1.7 Billion rounds plus – by government agencies, most of it for the Department of Homeland Security
  • The NDAA authorizing indefinite detention of US citizens just on suspicion, no hearing, no trial, no due process
  • Obama issuing one executive order after another seizing control of practically all the nation’s resources, infrastructure, food production, transportation, communication
  • And more…

Some recent developments – from Web reports

  • *Coastal military bases being evacuated over back roads under cover of darkness, cover story is expectation of massive coastal flooding
  • Obama-appointed court overturns permanent injunction on NDAA indefinite detention clause (Yes, all three judges on this court were appointed by Obama)
  • *Obama makes deal with Iran, they will announce a stop to uranium enrichment in return for relaxing of sanctions before the election
  • Huge sinkhole in Louisiana continues to grow, officials worry about huge reserves of liquid butane, propane stored in nearby salt domes amid concern the domes may be tied in with the New Madrid fault
  • Gulf stream has stopped, BP oil spill blamed, will have drastic effects on weather (this dates back to 1910)
  • *Staged bank collapse supposed to take place in late October, all banks will close, credit cards, debit cards, food cards will not work, checks unusable, all money in the banks will be frozen
  • And now, HR6566, a bill directing FEMA to prepare for the possibility of mass fatalities!

*I have no confirmation for these… I’m just putting them out for whatever they’re worth.

In this article I want to focus on prophecies pointing to these events. I have bolded all scriptures and references for ease of locating them.

Bible prophecy in all cases may be taken at face value. These are inspired by the Holy Spirit and can be depended on. Non-biblical prophecies must be judged as to source and accuracy. There are a lot of the latter around today, so be careful what you believe. If you have conflicting prophecies concerning the same event, one or the other has to be false, and both may be. These prophets must be judged based on their past record of accuracy and the witness of the Holy Spirit. If someone makes a specific prophecy and the prophesied event doesn’t happen as prophesied, this person likely prophesied out of his own heart and not by the Holy Spirit, and is not to be believed.

That said, let’s take a look at some Bible prophecies. There are many, many prophecies concerning the end times, so many I will not have room to cover all of them here. But I will try to hit the most important ones.

A quick overview

There is a wealth of prophecy about end time events and conditions in Matthew 24 and Luke 17, and the book of The Revelation focuses almost entirely on end time events. 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 3 provide information on the rapture. 2 Thessalonians 2 warns of the fate of those who are left behind, and gives some clues about the timing of the rapture.

The book of Daniel contains several prophecies concerning the end-times. Some believe Psalm 83 prophesies an end-time attack of nations immediately surrounding Israel, some say it is already fulfilled. It could be both are true, some prophecies do have both a near and a distant fulfillment. Isaiah 17 prophesies the cataclysmic destruction of Damascus and surrounding territory. Ezekiel 37 gives a graphic word picture of the restoration of Israel in the vision of the dry bones. Ezekiel 38-39 describe the end-time invasion of Israel by Russia and the outer band of nations surrounding Israel. Zechariah 14 tells of Christ’s return to Earth and gives a description of the battle of Armageddon. Psalm 2 tells of the rebellion of the heathen, and the judgment that awaits them. Isaiah 11 gives a description of conditions that will prevail during the Kingdom age, the Millennium.

Now some specifics

Daniel 12:1-4 gives some important details of conditions in the end times:

[1] And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. This speaks of the great tribulation which is to come on the whole Earth after the Church is gone. Its purpose is to purify Israel and bring its people into proper relationship with God.

[2] And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” This refers to the resurrection of the just at the time of the rapture, and the resurrection of the unsaved at the time of the Great White Throne judgment. There will be a second resurrection of the just at the end of the Tribulation, as I understand it, of those who were saved during the tribulation and were killed for their faith.

[3] And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” The wise are those who have trusted Christ as their Lord and Savior, and their brightness is their reward who win souls to Christ.

[4] And thou, o Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end:… Until recent years, portions of the prophecies of Daniel have been sealed, that is their meaning could not be understood except in the context of current events when the time of their fulfillment was close at hand.

…Many shall run to and fro, … Until about the middle of the 18th century all travel was either on foot or with the aid of some sort of animal. With the advent of the railroad and the gasoline engine, all that changed. Now nearly everyone has a car capable of doing 70 miles per hour or faster, we have airplanes which routinely travel at 600 miles per hour and rocketships which have taken men to the moon and back.

…and knowledge shall be increased. Knowledge has increased more in the past century than in all time beyond put together. Sadly, much of today’s knowledge is being used for evil and not for good, such as universal spying, better and more efficient ways of killing people, and genetic tampering on food crops, now known to sicken both people and livestock, and having the potential to contaminate the gene pool worldwide, potentially resulting in famines with the potential to starve millions to death. Genetic tampering, mixing genes from unrelated species, was what ultimately brought on the flood of Noah’s day, because the entire genetic makeup of the world had become corrupted and only Noah and his family remained uncontaminated. This tampering is explicitly mentioned in the apocryphal books of Enoch and Jasher.

Paul’s second epistle to Timothy, chapter 3 verses 1-5, tell of the moral conditions of our day.

[1] This know also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come. [2] For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, [3] Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, [4] Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; [5] Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof; from such turn away. Sounds just like conditions today, doesn’t it? And much of this has come about just in my lifetime.

2 Thessalonians chapter 2 tells about the coming of the Antichrist, and gives a hint concerning the rapture. I recommend you read the entire book.

[6] And now you know what withholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time. [7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work, only he who now letteth [withholds, restrains]will letuntil he be taken out of the way. [8] And thenshall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [9] Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, [10] And all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. [11] And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they might believe a lie; [12] That they might all be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (Emphasis added.)

In verses six and seven we have the Restrainer. We believe this is none other than the Holy Spirit dwelling in all born again Christians in this world. Since we are all sealed with the Holy Spirit, the only way the Restrainer can be removed is to remove us, the Church, the Ekklesia, the called out assembly of believers in Jesus Christ. Then and only then can the Antichrist be revealed (verse 8), and there is a massive push on right now for the formation of one world government and one world religion, to be led by this evil man. All the events I have made note of in my previous articles in this series are setting the stage for that eventuality. The Department of Homeland Security procuring 1.7 Billion rounds of ammunition, FEMA camps equipped with guillotines, FEMA being directed to make preparations for massive fatalities, cover stories of expectation of mega-catastrophes, what does all of this tell you? Something BIG IS going on. Verse 9 tells who is behind all of this, none other than Satan himself. Verses 10-12 tell of the fate of those who have willfully rejected Jesus in this age, they won’t get a second chance once the rapture has come and they are left behind. They will all fall prey to the delusion that the antichrist is God, and will all be condemned with him.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 tell of the rapture, how it will happen.

[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: [17] Then we who 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. The dead will arise and join us who are still living, we will all receive our glorified bodies and in an instant be caught up together to join Jesus in the air, to be escorted to Heaven. I recommend you read the whole chapter.

1 Corinthians 15 gives an in depth discussion of the resurrection, then details what will happen to us when that event happens:

[51] Behold I show a mystery; we shall not all sleep [die], but we shall be changed, [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. [23] For this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality. So it will all happen in an instant, Greek Atomos, the smallest possible division of time. A nanosecond, a New York Minute. (What is a New York Minute? That’s the time between when the light turns green and the cabbie behind you blows his horn. Joke! It’ll happen much quicker than than a New York minute.) Read the whole chapter.

The gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, gives many details of things that will be happening just before Jesus returns for His own. Wars and rumors of wars. Nation against nation and tribe against tribe (verses 6-7). Persecution (verse 9). Betrayal (verse 10). False prophets (verse 11). Many of them nowadays.

Verse 12: Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Lots of that already, and much worse to come.

[13] But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. This is tribulation prophecy. Those who receive Jesus after the rapture and maintain their faith to the end of the tribulation shall be saved. That is not for this present age.

[14] Gospel of the Kingdom preached to all the world. This will happen during the tribulation. God’s grace again, not willing that any should perish, but that all should find repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Sadly, many will refuse it.

[15] Abomination of desolation in the holy place… Hasn’t happened yet. This will happen sometime around the midpoint of the tribulation. Tribulation events continue through verse 31.

Be aware that not all of the events of Matthew 24 are in chronological order. The parts concerning the rapture follow the parts about events during the tribulation, but precede the latter in their happening.

Now the key-Israel’s restoration as a nation:

[32] Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know summer is nigh: [33] So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. [34] Verily I say to you, this generation shall not pass, until all these things be fulfilled.

The fig tree is a prophetic symbol of Israel. The putting forth of leaves is symbolic of the nation of Israel, scattered all over the world for nearly 2000 years, being restored as a nation in May 1948. Verse 33-Jesus makes the point, when you see all these signs happening, wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, storms, moral collapse etc. and you see Israel restored as a nation, know that the end is near. Jesus described this period as being like birth pangs, starting off mild and infrequent, then increasing in both intensity and frequency until the baby is born. The pangs are now increasing at an exponential rate, and things are rapidly coming to a head. Then verse 34 gives a very big hint to the approximate time of the rapture-the generation that sees all these things begin to happen will not pass away until all is fulfilled. And all means all the way up to the end of the tribulation period, at least another seven years after the rapture. According to the Bible the usual lifespan of a generation is 70 years, if by strength, 80. It has now been close to 63 years since Israel once again became a nation, and if the rapture were to happen today there would still be at least seven years until the end of all that Jesus prophesied.

No man knows the day and hour (the exact time) of the rapture, but I truly believe He is telling us we will know when that time is near. I believe that we are in that time now.

Verses 37-39 give some clues as to what things will be like at the time of His coming.

[37] But as the days of Noe were, so shall the coming of the Son of man be. [38] For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking. Marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noe entered into the ark, [39] And knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so also shall the coming of the Son of man be.

Noah preached for some 200 years while the ark was being constructed, and nobody listened. When the flood came, only Noah, his family, and the animals brought into the ark, were saved. So it is in the days leading up to the rapture, it’s business as usual for the world and will be right up until the rapture. And very few people are paying any attention.

[40] Then shall two be in the field, the one shall be taken, the other left. [41] Two women shall be grinding at the mill; one shall be taken and the other left. A perfect picture of the rapture.

[42] Watch therefore for you know not what hour your Lord doth come. This I believe is another clue to the timing of the rapture, it will come at a time when no one is expecting it. Once the tribulation is underway, things are going to be anything but business as usual. It will be chaos. Once we’ve received Jesus our salvation is assured, nevertheless if we don’t live it out, we can lose our reward. See 1 Corinthians chapter 3 for details.

1 Thessalonians 5:9: For God hath not appointed us to judgment, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. More assurance of our eternal salvation in Jesus Christ.

Revelation 3:10, from Jesus’ seven letters to seven churches: Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them who dwell upon the earth.

This was addressed to the church at Philadelphia, generally considered to represent the believing church in the world at this time, and is another argument in favor of a pre-tribulation rapture. It is one of seven letters from the Lord Jesus to seven churches of His day, usually thought to be representative of various conditions of churches through history, from His day to our day.

There’s much more about the tribulation and the end times especially from Revelation 4 and onward, and another hint of the pre-tribulation rapture, and all the plagues God will pour out on the world once we are gone. It tells among other things of a totalitarian dictator who will seek to control the whole world, and we are seeing preparations for that in progress in this day and time. And this is what I have been seeking to emphasize all the way through this series.

We are in critical times. Preparations for the one world government are well underway and the big push is on. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 we must be gone before the antichrist can be revealed, and that can only mean one thing in the context of today’s events: The time of the rapture must be very close. There is only one way you can prepare and be ready for evacuation in the rapture, and that is to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. The only way you can do that is to let go of your sins, turn to Jesus and invite Him into your life by an act of your will. If you have never received Jesus into your life and the rapture happens, you will be left behind and will go into the tribulation period. Yes, a great multitude will be saved in the tribulation but for most it will be at the cost of their physical life. Revelation 20:4 speaks of the souls beheaded for their witness of Jesus and the word of God. This is as real as it gets. I have seen the reports of guillotines in the FEMA camps and I believe they are real.

But don’t think you can willfully reject Jesus now and expect to be saved after the rapture. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 plainly says if you’ve done that you will be sent strong delusion, and you will believe the lie that the antichrist is God, and you will be cast into the lake of fire where he is going, to be tormented in flames for ever and ever. Believe me you don’t want to go there. And you don’t have to.

This is your watchman-on-the-wall warning. The horn is sounding. The enemy (Satan incarnate) is coming. Don’t let him take you. Trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you will be saved and rescued and safe from the enemy. Do it now! Reject Jesus and the enemy sooner or later will get you and take you to hell to live forever in eternal torment.

Romans 10:9-13: That if thou shalt confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. [11] For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. [12] For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord is rich unto all who call upon him. [13]For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The choice is up to you, You must decide for yourself. I can’t do it for you. Do it today, do it now.

Pete Rose

email: wvhillbilly737@suddenlink.net

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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Over the last year it has become harder and harder to have a conversation about faith.  I have felt a hardening of positions on both sides.  we see this in politics too.  On the faith side, it stands out to me that more and more, we feel as if we may suffer some fallout from sharing our faith and the Gospel.  Not outright persecution but blowback from differences in opinion, and a general feeling that we need to keep it to ourselves.

What Jeff shares in the article below is something I have felt to varying degrees over the last couple of years.  It’s roots come from the doctrine of the Emergent church.  The ideas are infecting our chruches and leading many off the narrow path.  We need to pray that through us planting seeds, God can pull them back onto the correct path.

Maranatha – Come quickly Lord!

-myblessedhope

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False Sense of Security

By Jeff Patty


I had a short discussion the other day with a co-worker concerning Biblical matters. It’s not the first time, and it probably won’t be the last. It became a little heated, but the co-worker seems to like heated arguments, and he seems to be more desiring to push peoples’ buttons than usual. I believe the reasons are twofold. One, he has a liberal view of Christianity, and two, he has a liberal view of politics. And as the election gets closer, he gets more aggressive and outspoken about all his liberal beliefs.

I like my co-worker; he’s funny and can be caring. And I also love and care for him as a person. But, his liberal views of the Bible and his liberal interpretation gravely concern me. You see, he claims to be a Christian and seems bold at times in proclaiming it. And at times he will say things that I totally agree with and it seems like he’s getting a grasp on the Word. But then he’ll start talking to someone, and it’s so unbiblical it’s scary! Yet he’s convinced he’s right and he’s convincing others at work that don’t know any better that he’s right. Something I like to say about people who treat the Word like this is, “They treat the Bible like it’s a salad bar. They take what they want and leave the rest.” This perfectly describes my co-worker.

I’ll give some examples of what I’ve overheard and even had brief discussions with him about. Once I heard him say very boldly that, “The book of Revelation is a pile of horse****!” Another time he said, “John the Revelator must have gotten ahold of some bad mushrooms on the Island of Patmos, because he was crazy! He believes prophecy is total nonsense. And the other thing of great concern, he has no problem with profanity, especially using the Lord’s name in vain. I don’t know how many times a day he does, I just know that I hear every form of it at least two dozen times each day at work. Minimum! It’s the same as you or I saying, “and, or but, or the” while making a statement. And he never shows any remorse or guilt for the profanity. The only thing I’ve ever known him to show guilt for is gossip. Which is good, and it’s something we all probably struggle with to some degree and should feel guilt for and ask forgiveness for but the profanity isn’t an issue for him.

Neither is sexual immorality. He is a big supporter of anything and everything homosexual. He’s single and has never been married and he’s in his early fifties. I’ve even heard him state a couple of different times that he still hopes to meet someone and get married someday and he knows God has someone for him whoever HE or SHE may be. The first time I heard him say that, I convinced myself that I didn’t hear him right. He wasn’t talking to me, I just overheard him, and so I dismissed it. The second time I heard him; there was no mistaking what he said. This is one of the scriptures he leaves out or throws away, “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” Romans 1:26-27 (KJV)

He listens to and follows a couple of famous pastors or, “Life Coaches” as they like to be called today, that feed people what I like to call, “Cotton Candy and Kool-Aid.” Fluff. Even though I would never introduce him to the following people, he would love the “Religious Left” teachings of Brian McLaren and Rob Bell. My co-worker hates the Jews for “occupying the Palestinians’ territory,” and he believes God is a God of love and would never send anybody to Hell. And at other times he even says there is no Hell. So if he ever becomes aware of McLaren and Bell, he’ll have their collected works. Both of these men are a big part of the emergent movement that is destroying Christianity. McLaren and Bell are the types of teachers spoken of in 2 Peter 1:1-2: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” (KJV)

He recently recovered from lung cancer and it almost appears that he was miraculously healed. He claims it was through the power of prayer. Maybe it was, I don’t know. He says he must have a purpose, that’s why God has spared him, more than once. He’s had a lot of other close calls. Maybe. But I can’t help but think: maybe he was spared to deceive people. You see, I believe that Satan has the power to heal. He tries to imitate God. They’re pale imitations for sure, but he is able to imitate to some degree. A fascinating and frightening book that I highly recommend is, The Beautiful Side of Evil, by Johanna Michaelsen. In it she talks about when she was involved in the occult with a psychic healer and learning the craft, and how she witnessed many healings of individuals. Some were healed for only short periods of time, others for very long periods of time. Even before she became born-again she felt an evil presence during these sessions. Once she was saved she knew the healings were demonic. Now I’m not saying my co-worker is possessed, but I do believe that because of his preaching of another gospel, he could be being used to lead people astray. “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” Gal 1:6-9 (KJV)

Like the “Religious Left,” my co-worker seems to have an animosity towards anyone who exposes conservative Christian values. We’re seen as hateful, intolerant and judgmental. And it’s not just him but anyone else with his worldview. I’m convinced that this type of attitude and treatment will become more pronounced and accepted in the near future. I believe the day is quickly coming when it will be dangerous for a true believer to voice his or her convictions in this country, even in a small town like mine.

I haven’t written this article to judge my co-worker or belittle him. I’m sincerely concerned for his soul. He truly believes he is saved yet, the evidence suggests otherwise. I fear he has a false sense of security. And what really bothers me is, in my experience, these are the types of people that are the hardest to reach. If it’s someone who maybe isn’t necessarily an atheist, but they don’t claim to be a Christian, you can present them with the Gospel. Build a foundation. But for someone who believes they are a born-again Christian, whether through heritage or just saying it, it’s hard to say anything that doesn’t offend them or put them on the defensive. I will readily admit I have a hard time knowing how to talk to this particular co-worker and anyone else of a similar mindset. Where I work, and the area where I live, it is populated with a huge amount of people with this mindset, yet their lifestyle isn’t remotely Christian. Quite the opposite. But they believe they have secured a home in Heaven. Maybe I’m naive. Maybe it’s this way everywhere. I fear that it is. It’s a symptom of the condition of our churches. Churches that are all too willing to feed on cotton candy and kool-aid.

I will pray for my co-worker and others like him, and try to set a godly example and be a good witness. That may be more effective than words.

www.jeffpatty.com

jeff@jeffpatty.com

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

After reading the article below I couldn’t help but reflect on my own feelings.  Being a watchman and sifting through all of the garage of this lost world does add a little edge to your happiness.  It is not a depression or lost of faith but a sadness for what we the human race has become and how many of us will not be saved due to our pride and stubbornness.

Once you have detached from this world, it is no longer home, you do tend to not be as joyful of the things of this world.  This is a good thing but something I have struggled with while living in this world but not being part of it.  It is amazing how quickly “this world” pushes you aside as soon as you disconnect, but once you do you feel the peace in your heart and soul, you gripped fist loosens, opens and turns palms up.  It is how we were meant to hold the things/plans of this world, while longing for the next.

Maranatha – Come quickly Lord!

-myblessedhope

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Blessed? Very! Happy? Ehhhh, Maybe Not So Much!

By Sandee Lloyd


I hear people talk about joy, and happiness, and contentment, as if they were interchangeable, and for the “true Christian”, compulsory. The sermon was on that subject at church today. It was a good sermon. The passage was Psalm 1: 1-3. The message was this: blessed/happy is the man who is separated from the world (Walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, standeth not in the way of sinners, and sitteth not in the seat of the scornful). Blessed/happy is the man that is Saturated in the Word (meditating on the Lord’s “preserved and purified” Word –Ps. 12:6-7– day and night, delighting in it), and Blessed/Happy is the man who is Situated in the Faith (like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in due season, not withering, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper). But I still, for the life of me, do not see how this equates to never-ending happiness in this lifetime. Technically the word “blessed” is interchangeable with the word “happy”, but happy is subjective and qualitative, while blessed, is definitive. I don’t even think “joyful” and “happy” are synonymous, although they might be considered degrees of the one state, but now I’m splitting hairs.

It is hard for me to be “ever- joyful”, being a Watchman on the wall, knowing what I know about the conditions in our world and in our nation, and seeing what I see in Scripture, as to where it is all headed. I am not discouraged or worried or despondent, rather I am accepting of what is, and very expectant of “what shall be”. It’s the “in-between now and then”, that is growing protracted and wearisome!!! Perhaps that is a mere case of “A hope deferred makes a heart sick”. The more real the prospect of Heaven becomes, the less “happy” I am here.

(more…)

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A lot of articles this week so far, may prophecies in play…

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Ukraine takes aim against ‘gay propaganda’
the bill would prevent anyone sending out a message that there is nothing wrong with being gay – whether in a newspaper editorial, a public speech or parade. This bill’s authors have cited films like Brokeback Mountain as an example.

Pro-‘gay marriage’ ads labeled ‘con job’
The ads feature heterosexuals promoting homosexual marriage. According to an Associated Press report, one ad features a husband and wife talking “fondly” of a lesbian couple in their neighborhood; another a pastor talking “supportively” of same-sex unions; and still another a married couple wanting “fair treatment” for their lesbian daughter. But missing from the ads are … homosexuals.

Iran a factor in early Israeli elections, says Rubin
A U.S.-born Israeli author and former politician says it was a “wise” political move by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call for early elections in Israel.

Congress sets hearing as conflicting reports cloud Benghazi terror attack
Congress, angered by reports that the State Department failed to take seriously threats by Al Qaida, plans to investigate the storming of the American consulate in Libya in which four diplomats were killed.

Turkey threatens force as ‘worst-case scenario’ to change Syrian regime
Turkey has suggested that it would invade Syria to end the regime of President Bashar Assad. For the first time, Turkey has warned of what its president termed a “worst-case scenario” in Syria. Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Ankara would continue to attack Syria to protect against shelling and other operations against Turkey.

Syrian rebels capture Hizbullah fighters ‘in full combat gear’
“The 13 Hizbullah fighters, in full combat gear, were manning security and military checkpoints in the Homs countryside,” FSA spokesman Fahd Al Masri said. “They were not on a religious, tourist or family visit to the region.” Over the last two months, FSA has captured scores of Hizbullah operatives in Syria. FSA said many of the detainees had been assigned to quell Sunni rebel operations around Aleppo, Damascus and Homs.

Earthquakes in North Texas in late September were just flukes
The three earthquakes that shook North Texas late last month left many mildly rattled residents scratching their heads. North Texas is not on any major fault lines, and area residents are likely more familiar with tornadoes than other violent natural disruptions, but the two earthquakes that struck West Dallas and Irving on September 29 registered a 3.4 and 3.1 on the Richter scale, respectively. A third quake in Irving the next day registered at 2.1

American seismologist predicts an increase in seismic activity in Baku and on the Absheron peninsula
At the International Seismology Conference taking place in Baku American scientist and seismologist Robert King has informed that in Baku and Absheron peninsula it is expected an increase in seismic activity as a result of compression fracture between the Minor and the Greater Caucasus.

Mali Islamists ‘buying child soldiers, imposing Sharia’
Islamists who seized control of part of Mali are amassing money from ransoms and drug trafficking while imposing Sharia law, says a senior UN official. They are also buying child soldiers, paying families $600 (£375) per child, Ivan Simonovic said after a fact-finding visit to the country. Islamic extremists seized two-thirds of Mali in March when a military coup plunged the country into chaos.

Russia Won’t Renew Pact on Weapons With U.S.
The Russian government said Wednesday that it would not renew a hugely successful 20-year partnership with the United States to safeguard and dismantle nuclear and chemical weapons in the former Soviet Union when the program expires next spring, a potentially grave setback in the already fraying relationship between the former cold war enemies.

Islam appears to spread in Haiti, a country where Christianity and Voodoo hold sway
What’s helped pull her through all the grief, she said, has been her faith, but not of the Catholic, Protestant or even Voodoo variety that have predominated in this island country. Instead, she’s converted to a new religion here, Islam, and built a small neighborhood mosque out of cinderblocks and plywood, where some 60 Muslims pray daily.

Magnitude-5.3 earthquake shakes Costa Rica
The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake occurred at 6:19 a.m. (8:19 EST; 12:19 GMT) and was centered eight miles (14 kilometers) north-northeast of the town of Nicoya. The epicenter was about 22 miles (35 kilometers) below the surface.

Putin seeks to expand energy and military ties with Iraq, reviving Soviet-era relationship
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday pushed for closer energy and military co-operation with Iraq, seeking to rebuild ties that withered after Saddam Hussein’s downfall and the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Panetta: US sends forces to Jordan
The United States has sent military troops to the Jordan-Syria border to bolster that country’s military capabilities in the event that violence escalates along its border with Syria, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday. Speaking at a NATO conference of defense ministers in Brussels, Panetta said the U.S. has been working with Jordan to monitor chemical and biological weapons sites in Syria’

Ignoring threats, Jordanian sworn in as Israel envoy
The new Jordanian ambassador to Israel, Walid Obeidat, was sworn in Monday before King Abdullah after rejecting threats from his powerful clan not to accept the job. The ceremony was attended by Jordanian Foreign Minister Naser Judeh. Obeidat chose to ignore his family’s threats that they would “disown” him if he agreed to serve as ambassador to Israel.

Pope Benedict XVI prays in Arabic for the first time
The Arabic blessing – the first time the language has been used at such an event – was part of a Vatican attempt to reach out more to Christians and Muslims in the Middle East.

Anti-Semitism on the Temple Mount
A young British Jewish student was reportedly accosted by Wakf officials, who demanded that he remove his yarmulke, which they said they found to be “offensive.” Rather than get into an altercation, the student chose to leave, later telling reporters that, “I have experienced anti-Semitism in England, but I never thought that in Judaism’s holiest site I would be subjugated to such discrimination.”

MP: Turkish army can reach Damascus for three hours
In the event of a war with Syria, the Turkish army will need only three hours to reach the country’s capital Damascus, Turkish TV channel Beyaz TV quotes MP from the ruling Justice and Development Party Samil Tayar as saying on Wednesday. MP emphasized that Ankara is fully ready for military actions.

Russia warns against use of force against Iran
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned on Wednesday, Oct 10, that the use of force against Tehran would spell the end of the negotiating process on Iran’s nuclear program, RIA Novosti reported. “Time and again we hear threats that if there is no progress on Iran’s nuclear program only one option will remain – the use of force. We hope that will never happen,” he said.

Texas schools punish students who refuse to be tracked with microchips
A school district in Texas came under fire earlier this year when it announced that it would require students to wear microchip-embedded ID cards at all times. Now, students who refuse to be monitored say they are feeling the repercussions. …Hernandez said in an interview with Salon that subjecting herself to constant monitoring through an RFID chip is like being branded with the “mark of the beast” – a reference to the Bible’s apocalyptic Book of Revelations.

Almost 40 Earthquakes Hit Near Reykjavík
The epicenter of the earthquake swarm lies to the southeast of Bláfjöll. On Friday, the area was hit by a stronger earthquake of a magnitude of 3.8, ruv.is reports.

Are Businesses Quietly Preparing for a Financial Apocalypse?
As investors, we can infer quite a bit from corporations’ inability (or unwillingness) to deploy their cash. For one, it indicates that business have assumed a very defensive stance. Cash, of course, is a buffer against uncertainty – the uncertainty that business slows for any reason. Management wants a healthy cash reserve with which to pay the bills and remain liquid should anything unexpected happen.

No Currencies Will Survive What Lies Ahead, But That’s OK
The Portola Group, warned about a chaotic future where, “Along the way, various currencies will become the safe haven of the day, but none will survive what lies ahead.” He also cautioned, “No amount of printing or economic growth can prevent our destiny of currency destruction and entitlement collapse.”

Obama’s ring: ‘There is no god but Allah’
…the ring Obama has been wearing for more than 30 years is adorned with the first part of the Islamic declaration of faith, the Shahada: “There is no God except Allah.”

No tsunami threat from southwestern Pacific quake
A preliminary 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck 452 miles northwest of the Balleny Islands region early this morning at 2:32 a.m., but presented no tsunami threat to Hawaii, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Magnitude 4.5 earthquake rattles Montreal area, no reports of damage
An earthquake rattled the Montreal region early Wednesday, waking up some people but causing no injuries or serious damage. The magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck shortly after midnight and was centered about 23 miles (37 kilometers) southeast of Montreal, said Natural Resources Canada seismologist Allison Bent in Ottawa.

US-Israel reportedly discussing joint ‘surgical strike’ on Iran
Israel and the US are reportedly working on a limited joint attack on Iran aimed at setting the country’s nuclear program back several years without inflaming the region, a source close to talks between the nations said.

Study: One-Third Of Adults Under 30 Have No Religious Affiliation
One-fifth of American adults have no religious affiliation, and this number is increasing rapidly. The number of Americans who do not identify with any religion continues to grow at a fast pace. One-fifth of the U.S. public – and a third of adults under 30 – are religiously unaffiliated today, the highest percentages ever in Pew Research Center polling.

Official: Syria debating full military mobilization
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria held a meeting today with his regime’s army leadership to discuss the possibility of a full general military mobilization to face the prospect of war with Turkey, according to a senior Syrian official speaking to WND. The official said no decision has been taken about whether to mobilize all branches or to call up the reserves, citing an argument at the meeting that Syria doesn’t want to be seen as taking the first major step toward war.

Al-Maliki eyes $5 billion defense deal with Russia
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki set off for Moscow yesterday to sign a $5 billion contract for the sale of weapons including fighter jets, helicopters, anti-aircraft missile systems and armored vehicles to Baghdad, according to a Russian newspaper. If the deal takes place, Iraq will be among five largest importers of Russian arms, according to Pravda.

Egypt’s President Mursi pardons ‘revolutionaries’
Egypt’s President, Mohammed Mursi, has pardoned all those arrested since the beginning of last year’s popular uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak. A post on the president’s official Facebook page announced an amnesty for crimes and misdemeanours committed “in support of the revolution”. The decree could lead to the release of several thousand people.

IMF sees ‘alarmingly high’ risk of fresh global slump
“Risks for recession in the advanced economies are alarmingly high,” said the Fund’s latest World Economic Outlook. “The intensity of the euro area crisis has not abated as assumed in previous projections.”

Earth’s outer layers may be spinning over molten core
At various times in Earth’s history, the planet’s solid exterior — its crust and mantle layers — has apparently drifted over the planet’s spinning core. To picture this, imagine that a peach’s flesh somehow became detached from a peach’s pit and was free to move about over it.

UAE: Gulf must tackle Muslim Brotherhood threat
Gulf Arab countries should work together to stop Islamist group the Muslim Brotherhood plotting to undermine governments in the region, the United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister said on Monday.

Obama announces César Chávez monument
Obama traveled to Southern California on Monday to announce the establishment of a national monument to the Mexican-American union organizer César Chávez, while offering Hispanic voters a subtle nudge less than a month before Election Day.

Indonesia Earthquake: Maluku Hit By 6.3-Magnitude Quake In Eastern Indonesia
A strong earthquake shook parts of eastern Indonesia on Monday, sending residents and hotel guests running out of their rooms, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. Indonesia’s meteorology and geophysics agency said there was no danger of a tsunami. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake measured magnitude 6.3 and was centered 139 kilometers (86 miles) southeast of Ambon, the provincial capital of Maluku, at a depth of 34 kilometers (21 miles).

6.0 earthquake strikes off northwest Mexico – USGS
“We felt it hard, and it shook the building like we’ve never felt before,” said Rafael Ines, an editor at Los Mochis paper El Debate. “It was a pretty hardcore shake.”

Call to Separate Jews, Arabs on Temple Mount
The call came less than an hour after a rabbi and two Jews were arrested on suspicion of “praying” on the site, just hours before the start of the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. One of the two Jews had three of his children with him at the time. In addition, an Arab was arrested in connection with violent riots on the site that had taken place two days earlier in which worshipers hurled rocks at police as they left the mosque after prayers.

 

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

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